Georgia Distracted Driving Laws

The legal impact of driving while texting/using a cell phone

Hand-held communication devices make the world lot more accessible. Smartphones serve as a portal for the quick retrieval of information and an immediate link to others. In that regard, technology is good. But for all the utility they provide, the prevalence of cell phones and the distraction they create can also make the world a much more dangerous place to be, particularly on Georgia’s roadways.

Contact The Dow Firm, P.C. today for a free consultation or call (912) 264-1919.

It used to be folks could anticipate reckless driving under somewhat predictable circumstances at somewhat predictable times (typically committed by DUI drivers in the early morning hours after “last call”). But with the widespread introduction and use of cell phones, nearly anyone at any time can turn an ordinary day or night into a tragic nightmare involving death or serious injury inflicted by a motor vehicle. In other words, the risks posed by drivers using cell phones has increased the frequency of random head-on collisions, drifting sideswipe impacts, roll-overs after running off the road and overcorrecting, etc.

Understanding that distracted driving (driving while texting/using a cell phone) has become a serious problem in Georgia, state and federal laws have been enacted to prohibit this dangerous practice from occurring. O.C.G.A. §§ 40-6-241 outlaws certain use of wireless telecommunication devices in moving vehicles on the roads of Georgia. Likewise, the deadly threat posed by the combination of tractor-trailer operation and the use of cell phones by tractor-trailer drivers has been identified and expressly addressed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for many years with the implementation and enforcement of 42 CFR §§ 392.80 and 392.82. In fact, as for commercial drivers, a FMCSA study found that tractor-trailer drivers involved in texting were 23 times more likely to experience a critical driving event than a non-distracted driver. (So when you see a trucker behind the wheel on a cell phone, understand that is a serious threat to your safety and a violation of federal regulation designed to protect you and the rest of the motoring public.) And while laws are in place to prescribe safe behaviors, obviously not everyone follows the rules. When this happens the harms which the laws are designed to guard against can become a reality.

Over the years, The Dow Firm, P.C. has had the unfortunate opportunity to see the effects distracted driving and texting while driving visited upon unsuspecting, innocent drivers, passengers, bicyclists and pedestrians. This law firm knows how to investigate and prosecute claims where reckless drivers, due to cell phone texting, messaging, calling or internet searching, have injured or killed others.

The Dow Firm, P.C. is focused on investigation and prosecution in reckless driving cases and has a demonstrated record of successful outcomes for patients victimized .

Contact The Dow Firm, P.C. today for a free consultation or call (912) 264-1919.

The Dow Firm, P.C. is proud to offer services and represent clients with texting and driving-related claims in Glynn County (Brunswick, Country Club Estate, Dock Junction, Everitt, Jekyll Island, Sea Island, Sterling, St. Simons Island and Thalman), Brantley County (Atkinson, Hickox, Hoboken, Hortense, Lulaton, Nahunta, Trudie and Waynesville), Camden County (Colesburg, Dover Bluff, Harrietts Bluff, Kings Bay Base, Kingsland, St. Marys, Tarboro, Waverly, White Oak and Woodbine), Wayne County (Jesup, Odum and Screven), McIntosh County (Cox, Crescent, Darien, Eulonia, Pine Harbour, Ridgeville, Shellman Bluff, South Newport, Townsend and Valona), Pierce County (Blackshear, Bristol, Mershon, Offerman and Patterson), Chatham County (Bloomingdale, Garden City, Georgetown, Isle of Hope-Dutch Island, Montgomery, Port Wentworth, Pooler, Savannah, Skidaway Island, Thunderbolt, Tybee Island, Whitmarsh Island, Wilmington Island and Vernonburg) and counties throughout the state of Georgia.

The Dow Firm, P.C. is located in Brunswick, GA, however, our firm investigates wrongful death claims and all types of automobile-related injury cases anywhere in Georgia.

Call us today at (912) 264-1919.