A few weeks ago, I heard a lot of talk in the news about a texting ban trying to be signed into law in Georgia. Caleb’s Law was signed by Gov. Sonny Perdue on June 4th. The law is effective today, July 1st; however, rumor is police will give drivers a one month grace period before they begin to enforce the new law. That means people need to get in accordance with the law before Aug. 1st or face a fine of $150 and one point on their license. However, when it comes to drivers under the age of 18, they are banned from any phone usage behind the wheel.
Now I understand that driving while texting is dangerous. Anytime when you have to take your eyes off the road while driving is not safe and I have no problem with the law; however, there are concerns with how this new law will be enforced. I’m one who thinks that not only is it about safety but it’s also about money. At the end of the day, people use their phones for more than just texting. I’ve seen phones that talk directions to you and with the use of touch screen, how are police supposed to know when you’re scrolling through your phone for directions as opposed to actually receiving a text from someone.
I would hate for a ticket and one point to be based on someone else’s subjective interpretation of the law. But the biggest question is what will this mean for the dating world? A lot of people check texts while they drive, and if you’re running late or looking for a confirmation from someone through a text, this new law kind of forces you to wait until you get from point A to point B before you even want to pick up your phone.
This law changes the dynamic of phone use all together because at the end of the day, unless you’re sitting next to a police officer typing away, there is no real way to tell that a person is text and driving. This law makes me want to just hop on MARTA and be able to text to my hearts content. Hop a train to Lindbergh Center and discuss this law with friends at Five Guys. It’ll be nice to see how people feel about this new law designed to protect people lives.
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