Distracted Driving Accidents
How Georgia’s Hands-Free Law Affects Distracted Driving Claims in 2025
Distracted driving is a leading cause of traffic accidents across Georgia. And in 2025, it continues to be a serious issue in Columbus and beyond.
The Rise of Distracted Driving Accidents in Georgia
Distracted driving kills. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 3522 Americans lost their lives in a recent year due to accidents where at least one of the drivers was distracted. Using a handheld device for texting, talking, and other activities is a major cause of distracted driving. In 2018, the State of Georgia passed a law prohibiting handheld devices while driving, and law enforcement officials have been aggressively enforcing the law.
Proving Distracted Driving with Cell Phone Data
When a vehicle accident occurs, and one side alleges that the other was distracted by a cell phone, this can be difficult to prove. In many cases, these incidents turn into one story against another, but it may be possible to use cell phone data to try and determine whether or not a driver was distracted when a crash occurred. Here, we want to discuss how you can get cell phone data from another party and whether or not this will help prove liability for the incident. Cell Phone Data – What it Tells Us On March 18, 2018, Elaine…
Does Optimism Bias Lead to Distracted Driving?
When most people think of distracted driving, I think of drivers looking at their phones, eating or drinking, applying makeup, or something similar. However, one thing that is not often discussed is optimism bias and how this affects our driving behavior. Optimism bias refers to the way that people see the world – a person always assuming the best about the future and possible outcomes. On the surface, it sounds like optimism bias is something that is a good thing. It can be because this can help individuals find hope even when things look disastrous. However, there is a downside…
What Is Considered Distracted Driving In Georgia?
There is no doubt that distracted driving is a major concern for drivers and passengers on Georgia roadways. There are many types of distracted driving behaviors that can cause harm, and many citizens of this state are injured or killed each year due to distracted driving. Here, we want to discuss what is considered distracted driving on Georgia roadways. These incidents are serious During the latest reporting year in Georgia, there were approximately 400,000 traffic accidents. These incidents led to more than 1,500 total traffic crash fatalities and many thousands of injuries. Unfortunately, many of these injuries and fatalities were…
What You Need to Know about Georgia’s Hand-Free Law
Distracted driving is nothing new. However, the increase in technology in our lives has significantly increased the number of distracted driving accidents on the roadways. Distracted driving accidents often lead to serious injuries or fatalities. Most states have passed certain restrictions on how a person can use cell phones while they are driving. Georgia’s hands-free law went into effect on July 1, 2018 with the implementation of HB 673. What does the hand-free law in Georgia say? Pursuant to Georgia law, drivers in Georgia are prohibited from the following: Holding or supporting, with any part of the body (including the…
Which is the Worst County in Georgia for Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is dangerous driving. The concept of distracted driving is nothing new. It has been around for as long as we’ve had vehicles. However, distracted driving has taken on a whole new meaning over the last decade. With the rise of smartphones and our reliance on them for everything that we do, distracted driving has become a serious cause of vehicle crashes. Today, we want to discuss which county is the worst in Georgia for distracted driving as well as how the rest of the state stacks up. Jackson County has a distracted driver problem Jackson County leads the…
Is it Illegal to Talk on the Phone while Driving in Georgia?
Starting as of July 1, 2018, it is now illegal in Georgia to drive while holding a cellphone. The Hands-Free Georgia Act, or House Bill 673, is the latest development in the state’s efforts to decrease distracted driving accidents and increase roadway safety. According to the new law, using a handheld cellphone is against the law while operating a vehicle in the state, except in a few situations. It is also illegal for school bus drivers to use two-way radios or cellphones while loading /unloading passengers. Learn what the new law means for you as a driver in the state of…
The NHTSA reports that distracted driving is on the rise
The NHTSA reports that distracted driving is on the rise – Car accidents – Butler Prather LLP