Georgians would have to put down their phones while driving, or pay up, under new bill

A state lawmaker says it's time for Georgians to stop handling their phones while driving, even at red lights. He wants drivers to use hands-free devices with their phones and is proposing a bill with new distracted driving penalties.

"More than anything, what I would like to start in Georgia is a culture change on this issue such that texting and driving, looking at your phone and so forth, is as taboo as drunk driving,” said state Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta. He's trying to pass a bill that allows drivers nothing but a single swipe or button touch on a smart phone per call or communication.

Using a headset or voice controls would be OK, but the point is for drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the steering wheel.

If things don't change, there's no telling how much insurance rates, crashes and fatalities will continue to rise, Carson said, in explaining his House Bill 673 to a state House panel Monday.

Georgia does ban texting while driving, but it's hard to enforce because the law doesn't ban dialing phone numbers.

Under Carson's bill, causing death or serious injury with a car while fiddling with a phone would come with the same prison time as drunk-driving convictions.

A plain first offense, getting pulled over by officers, would cost at least $300 in fines and fees, plus three "points" on the driver's license. For comparison, an open container of alcohol is two points. And 15 points in 24 months means a license suspension.

Fees would keep going up for subsequent offenses, as high as a total of $1,000. While the local county or city would keep part, the state would keep the rest. Carson wants the state to use its part to fund administration of the law, as well as trauma care centers — the places that are first to see people who come in from road accidents.

Monday's hearing was set aside for supporters of the bill, which included the head of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, as well as people who have lost loved ones in car accidents caused by distracted drivers.

But there may be changes to the bill in subsequent hearings by the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. One lawmaker questioned whether all uses of a phone are equal. State Rep. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, asked his colleagues to consider if holding a phone up to the ear with one hand is as distracting as looking down and texting with two thumbs.

This story was originally published January 29, 2018 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Georgians would have to put down their phones while driving, or pay up, under new bill."