Hey drivers, Hands Free phone law takes effect Sunday
Wayne Ford @WayneFo12126079
Jun 29, 2018 at 3:54 PM Jun 29, 2018 at 3:54 PM
It's very possible someone will be talking on a cell phone while driving in the Athens area Sunday, then notice blue lights flashing in their rear view mirror.
The new Hands Free law that prohibits holding cell phones while driving goes into effect Sunday, and law enforcement agencies in northeast Georgia have different ideas on how to initially enforce the new driving rule.
For the most part, officers have been told by their superiors to use discretion when it comes to writing a warning or a citation.
"If it happens in front of them, they'll take note and take the appropriate action," Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry said.
Oconee Sheriff's Lt. Jeremy Wasdin issued an email to his patrol deputies, telling them to "use good judgment in the first few months on whether or not to write a citation."
That holds true at agencies like the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, where police spokesman Epifanio Rodriguez said "it all comes down to the discretion of the officer and what they see fit to do."
Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum is also leaving this decision up to the deputy. The new law does not offer a grace period for warnings.
But some departments are leaning more toward issuing warnings for awhile.
"We'll try to educate the first few weeks," Comer Police Chief Dennis Bell said. "A lot of people don't have the Internet and don't read newspapers. They just don't know."
"We'll push for warnings for a little bit and then do the citations," the veteran officer said.
The Georgia State Patrol is also favoring warnings at first on the new law.
Under the old law, if the trooper could determine there was texting and driving that would be cause for a citation, said Trooper Sgt. Tim Meyer of the Athens Post.
For the new law, which is refers to holding and talking on a phone, troopers will give warnings for the first three months.
"The reason for the 90-day grace period is our habits are ingrained. You need a time period to educate people about a new law before we just start writing tickets," Meyer said.
But Meyer said he has read where some agencies have said the law has been publicized so they are not giving a grace period.
The new law does allow drivers to talk on phones without holding it in their hand or supported by their body.
The Governor's Office of Highway Safety released a statement saying the law will hopefully reduce the number of vehicle crashes due to distracted driving.
The new law does exempt those in law enforcement.
Wasdin urged Oconee deputies to "set a good example and only use their phones in a hands-free fashion."
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