ATLANTA — Texters beware.
The state Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would ban people from texting while driving.
“As legislators we do our best everyday to make decisions that will positively impact the lives of Georgians for years to come,” state Sen. Jack Murphy, R-Cumming, said in a news release. “This bill will not only make Georgia road’s safer, it will save lives.”
Anyone convicted of texting while driving would face a fine of up to $150. And, any teens charged twice with texting while driving will be restricted to a class D license for one year, which prohibits who can ride with the teen and what hours he or she can drive.
An estimated 6,000 people were killed in 2008 in crashes involving a “distracted or inattentive driver,” according to new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). More than 500,000 people were also injured in such crashes, the data shows.
