Is it legal to use a cell phone or send text messages while driving in Georgia?

The use of cell phones and other handheld devices to send and receive phone calls, emails and text messages is becoming controversial.  Research studies are continuing to show that drivers who use cell phones and similar devices greatly increase the odds that they will cause a car or truck crash.

Given the danger that distracted drivers pose on Georgia’s highways, lawmakers have enacted some cell phone driving laws in the state.  Other states have gone further and either completely banned the use of handheld cell phones (allowing hands-free devices) and some states ban the use of cell phones completely for teen drivers.

How do Georgia’s laws compare?

• No ban on handheld cell phones while driving; no requirement for hands-free devices
• Cell phone use completely banned for bus drivers
• No ban on cell phone use by novice drivers or those with only a learner’s permit
• No ban on sending or receiving / reading text messages while driving
• No ban on bus drivers sending or receiving text messages
• No ban for novice drivers sending or receiving text messages
• The cell phone ban for bus drivers is a primary enforcement law, which means that a bus driver can be pulled over if a police officer observes him or her using a cell phone while driving a bus
• Georgia does collect data on cell phone use as a contributing factor to automobile accidents