Rep. Eddie Lumsden Speaks about Hands Free Law

While there are laws that prohibit texting and driving, law enforcement officers say the law is hard to enforce because they cannot tell whether a driver is texting or merely dialing, which is currently legal. The new law aims to keep up with the increasing technology of smartphones.

The new law will prohibit people from watching movies, emailing, snap chatting and other distracting activities while driving. Lumsden said that Bluetooth devices would be fine for drivers to use to take calls and drivers can text if they are using technology that converts voice to text messages.

Lumsden, who lost a daughter to a distracted driver, said the families of five Georgia Southern nurses who were killed by a distracted driver of an 18-Wheeler were present at the signing of the bill.

The “Hands-Free Georgia Act”  will go into effect on July 1.

After July 1, it will be a crime to operate a phone with any part of the body while driving.

Chattooga County Sheriff Mark Schrader told AllOnGeorgia, “we will be pushing out several ads making citizens aware…there will be a period of warnings before citations are issued.”