Personal Injury Law

Will Georgia Legislature Outlaw Texting While Driving (TWD)?

I read yesterday that a group of United States Senators have filed a bill that would make it illegal on a Federal level to text while driving. These Senators are Senator Charles Schumer of New York, Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, and Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina. The measure, S. 1536, called the Avoiding Life-Endangering and Reckless Texting by Drivers Act (or ?ALERT Drivers? Act), would apply to drivers of any car, truck or bus, as well as most other mass transit systems, including light rail. The legislation would not apply to individuals using mobile devices in a parked vehicle, nor would it apply to passengers. Lawmakers said the legislation is necessary, citing a study by Virginia Tech researchers showing that drivers are 23 times more likely to get into an accident when texting on their phones. Other studies show that the effects of driver texting are similar to driving while intoxicated, the lawmakers said.

Good for them...although I really don't think this is an issue that should be dealth with on a Federal level. It seems to me it is inherently a State issue and I register my hope again here that the Georgia General Assembly takes action in January 2010 to make texting while driving (TWD OR DWT) illegal. Other states have already taken this measure, including New York and California. http://lawyersusaonline.com/?article=432572 Why can't Georgia be next? Why shouldn't Georgia be next?

Full post as published by Atlanta Injury Lawyer Blog on September 25, 2009 (boomark / email).