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Distracted driving and Georgia phone rules

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Contents
  1. What hands-free means
  2. Different forms of distraction
  3. A rule and a disputed event
  4. Related entries
  5. References

Distracted driving is driving while attention is diverted to another activity. NHTSA includes phone use, eating and other activities that take attention from driving. Georgia's hands-free law addresses particular device use; distraction as a safety issue is broader than the conduct prohibited by that law.[1][2]

What hands-free means

Georgia guidance says a driver cannot hold a phone or use another part of the body to support it while driving. The guidance also addresses writing or reading text-based communications and watching video, with specified exceptions. A hands-free device is not a declaration that a driver is paying adequate attention to traffic.[2][1]

Different forms of distraction

NHTSA describes distraction as taking eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or the mind off driving. Texting combines these demands. An account of a crash should identify the activity actually observed rather than using "distracted" as a label for any unexplained driving error.[1]

A rule and a disputed event

The device restrictions help frame questions about conduct, but a general description of the law does not prove a phone was in use during a particular collision. It is important to distinguish a witness's observation from an inference. Whether conduct violated a specific restriction depends on the act and the law's exceptions.[2]

References

  1. abc Distracted driving. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving. official. Checked . Source record
  2. abc Hands-Free Georgia Act guidance. Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety. https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/hands-free-law/. official. Checked . Source record