Hands-Free Law Now In Effect Across Georgia

ATLANTA, GA — It is now illegal in Georgia to hold your cell phone in your hand or support that device using any part of your body. Georgia's new Hands Free Law went into effect Sunday, and drivers across the Peach State will have to adapt to new rules, so they can avoid getting a citation by a police officer.

You should note that there is no 90-day grace period with this law, so you run the risk of getting a ticket if an officer catches you with a cell phone in your hand or supported by any part of your body while behind the wheel of your car.

"While a good number of officers and law enforcement agencies will be issuing warnings during the first few months, we encourage all drivers to go hands-free before July 1," said Harris Blackwood, director of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

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This distracted driving law will allow you to only make and receive calls through a speakerphone, earpiece or wireless headset as long as you do not have your phone in your hands or resting on your body. Motorists can also make calls if their phones are connected to an electronic device or their vehicle's stereo. GPS and other navigational devices are allowed, but you cannot have a phone in your hands or propped up by any body parts.

While it is not required to purchase a device or holder for your phone, the Governor's Office of Highway Safety encourages drivers who want to talk on their phone to place it where they can easily access it so that it doesn't interfere with their ability to operate their vehicle and will still reasonably keep their attention on the road.

If you don't want to purchase new equipment, you can also check to see if your phone has a Do Not Disturb feature which, when activated, detects when a phone is moving. If a phone is in motion, the feature informs the sender of a message or phone call that the person they are trying to reach is driving and will call or message back when the driver reaches his or her's destination.

While the new law will allow drivers to use hands-free technology to make and receive phone calls and use GPS devices, drivers cannot at any time use their phones to write, read and send text messages, emails, social media and internet data. The use of voice-to-text technology is allowed, however.

Drivers are also prohibited from watching and/or recording videos (though GPS and navigational videos and continuously running dash cameras are allowed). You will be able to listen to music through streaming apps on your phone, but you can not activate that app or change music using your device while driving. Music streaming apps programmed and controlled through a vehicle's radio system are allowed. However, you should note that watching videos through music apps are prohibited.

For those who may be overwhelmed by these new rules, the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety shared a handy flier on a Facebook page that clearly outlines how the new law will affect Georgia drivers.

Drivers can use their phones only during emergencies to report an accident, medical emergency, crime, fire or hazardous road conditions. Those who are exempt from the law are employees or contractors of a utility service provider acting within the scope of their employment while responding to a utility emergency and first responders (law enforcement, fire, EMS) while carrying out their official duties.

The law also allows phone use if a vehicle is legally parked, but this does not include vehicles that are stopped at traffic signals or stop signs. In other words, responding to text messages or calls while sitting in traffic is illegal.

Penalties for the law are $50 and one point on a license for the first conviction; $100 and two points on a license for a second conviction; and $150 and three points on a license for a third and subsequent convictions.

You can learn more information about the Hands-Free Law by visiting the website dedicated to the legislation.

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