No, I don't support another law telling me what I can and cannot do while driving. There are already laws in place about driving while distracted (in place long before cell phones came along) and people already ignore them. It should be a job of the people to use their own common sense and put down their phones. Burdening us with another law will not have the positive impact that lawmakers think it will.

Gary, you need to go move to a nanny state where someone can watch after you cradle to grave. There are laws to protect innocent people - they just aren't enforced. Another fell good law will have zero impact. See comment above about distracted driving. This includes applying makeup, eating, babysitting kids in the back seat, etc. Enough with the laws already!
Accident statistics say the same thing about sleepy driving too. Do you want the government to monitor your sleep time to make sure you got enough before driving somewhere in the morning? We need to protect our freedoms, not look to give them away every time something goes wrong or someone acts irresponsibly. Go after the individual, not the society.

Mr. Franklin said it best:
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
-Benjamin Franklin

Yes, I do support a ban on hand hold cell phone while driving a vehicle with the exception an emergency.

In my line of work operating a commerical vehicle there is a federal law banning truck drivers & bus drivers to hold the cell phone while driving.

Absolutely not! There are plenty of laws on the books that control what you can do with your car. There are laws for failure to maintain your lane, following to close, having an accident and more. We do not need laws telling us what we can or cannot do while in our personal vehicles, which many laws have already considered as an extension of our homes. Any Distraction can result in an accident and that includes, shaving, children, ipods, sign wavers, and so much more. Enforce the laws we have and teach people to make responsible decisions.

why not ban it all? no speaking to passengers, no changing the radio station or adjusting the volume. better ban audio books too. how can people listen to words AND drive?????? wonder when it will be illegal to read road signs and billboards. soon i hope. oh, dont look at the map on your nav system either. or listen to it. very distracting

If you start it - where does it stop.

Seems it is already covered... unless of course it is a ploy to drive the sales of blue-tooth and hands free accessories for cell phones....

I mean - look how well the gun banning threat is working for the gun industry!!

Talking on a hand held cell phone should be banned because they are a safety hazard. People are driving on public roads to the detriment of us all. Also nothing is more aggravating than to see someone talking on the cell phone while driving slowly in the passing lane. Many times I have avoided an accident by employing defensive driving techniques to avoid being hit by some driver totally distracted from talking on a cell phone.

I'm all for leaving the laws as they are as long as law enforcement start pulling people over and writing tickets for distracted driving if they see a driver talking on a cellphone, texting, eating a burrito, applying mascara, reading a book, etc. If they won't do this then I support a new law banning holding a cellphone while driving. If you're holding a cellphone while you are driving, you are most definitely distracted (texting, dialing, talking, reading).

Hummm..well i for one got stopped n ticketed on sugarloaf for sitting at a redlight .my phone rang i answered when i saw my 9yr old sons ( whom is epileptic) school calling to tell me he had gone into a siezure n i didnt hang up even with tha rude cop advising me to..n i tried to explain he proceeded to give me a ticket so i grabbed it wadded it up threw it in my floor n sped off .. i understand texting while driving but i refuse to comply with a law that is gonna keep me from knowing whats going on with my child .some cops are ticket happy anyhow n will write u a ticket for anything.. i ended up going to court n paid nothing

I agree with Kim. And why do I always see the driver on the cell phone and never the passenger(s)?

This is a toughie.... talking on the phone engages several senses at once. I can't tell you how many times i've gotten stuck under a light at an intersection because the idiot in front of me decides to slow to a snails pace to talk (they forget where they areand come almost ot a stop, meanwhile, I'm in a dangerous intersection). These things are on the books, however, you can only be charged after the fact, when an accident has already occurred. Not sure where I am on this. I'd adhere to it, but don't see it being all that enforcable.

People in Georgia should not be driving and speaking on cell phones at the same time. I see proof everyday that they can't manage it and they risk the lives of others and themselves. They swerve into lanes with no warning, they don't signal, they suddenly stop and not know which way to turn, they drive at 30mph on GA400 etc etc etc. What the heck is so important that can't wait until they get to their destination to talk on the phone?

Absolutely save lives and ban cell phones while driving in the State of Georgia.

I wish we didn't have to ban cell phones while driving, but people should just not do it. I learned the hard way. Talking to Comcast ass on the cell phone while driving on the way to work. I don't know what happened but, all of a sudden a car jumped in front of me. I bumped this kid and he bumped the guy in front of him. Police came, the kid that I bumped into got arrested (he had a warrant out for his arrest - unrelated to the accident), and the crotchety old my who the kid bumped was near death (I'm exaggerating-the old man's car didn't even have a scratch on it, but he was screaming in pain.) I had to pay a $300 ticket, a $500 deductible, and my life was nearly ruined. Perhaps I have no skills on talking while driving, but people who are for it should use this as a cautionary tale. Don't talk on the phone & drive. And definitely do not text, you'll kill yourself and other people.

Yes, I approve of a total cell phone ban while driving. I commute from Winder to Doraville every day and I see crazy drivers causing problems, while using their phones in some way, EVERY DAY!

R Said" the party on the OTHER end is a contributor to the incident for liability purposes and open for lawsuit."

That's is as absurd as trying to make McDonalds pay for liposuction

It also amazes me how many people will so willingly give up their freedom for the illusion of a little more security. Banning cell phones will not make you any safer as drivers will find other forms of distractions. Learn a little personal responsibility.

Don't distracted driving laws already cover this? My experience has been that it's not the holding of the phone that's the problem it is the distraction of the conversation. I pull over if the conversation is going to be more than a few seconds, what's the rush?

If there are laws against driving distracted then the police need to start ticketing people for using their phones (end of story), but they don't. Having a specific law would help bring the point home and make it easier for the police.

I understand that people don't like more laws, but, I don't want to have my freedom (to walk, ride a bike, etc..) taken away by someone who's on the phone, runs a stop light, or pulls out in front of me and hits me on my bike.. so who's freedom are you trying the protect?

I see no inherit right to be able to motor a 3000lbs. chunk of steel down the road while endangering others because you're on the phone and distracted.

Maybe they should ban eating, drinking, smoking and everything else while driving

Hands free cell phone use isn't any safer than talking while holding a phone. Safe driving skills can't be legislated. I'd vote against the state rep who is sponsoring this silly legislation.

Everyone can kick and scream all they want....this idea was not pioneered in Georgia...currently there are a number of states that have banned cell phones while driving and even more that have banned texting and driving. Don't shoot the messenger...........

We really don't need more government intrusion, we already have enough. Plus, I'm inclined to think that government intrusion is the reason that people are already so brain dead and do stupid things all the time anyway, like talk on their phones when they realize they shouldn't. Maybe a law will make a difference, but I still see people texting all the time.

A 'distracted driver' law really kind of SHOULD take care of it, but it doesn't....

Is the notion here that holding your phone to your ear, on your laps via speaker etc is the problem...NOOO!! It's talking on a cell phone, shaving while driving, drinking canned drinks without a straw is distracting, managing your hungry crying baby in the back seat, applying make-up, don't forget eating....and the list goes on! Should we petition next that cops use voice activated communication devices too? I've almost been run off the road by a cop using one of the laptop looking contraptions in their vehicles, I honked my horn and he pulled me over to apologize and to make sure we were alright.

To Thomas Moore and Nathan Horton, I tell you what.. You two take it upon yourselves to give a class or teach a seminar (preferably in your own home or garage) on "personal responsibility". While your at it, please tell them to "take it upon themselves" to be smarter, have higher morals, integrity , oh and for good measure... Not to try to multi task- cause some of "you" are just not that talented !! While you two, are doing that. I will be supporting a ban on hand held devises and perhaps chewing gum.
The fact of the matter, due to our population explosion there are more people on the roads. That means... more drunk drivers, more people under the influence (you pick the drug), more sleep deprived etc. I could go on, but you get the point. To drive it home (I'm coining a phrase here), I implore everyone reading this forum to go to Walton County Courthouse , just on a regular day. Sit in traffic court and wait through the DUI and marajuana charges. It may, give you some perspective as to how dangerous the roads are without adding phones and texting to the mix.

We can always hope that the Jury Nullification Bill also passes... then we wont have to worry this law having any effect. Just ask for a jury trial.

Absolutely they should be banned, it's an obvious safety issue. The arguments against remind me of when first seat belts and shoulder restraints became required, a lot of people were opposed at the time but now they are pretty much accepted and save thousands of lives every year. Driving is a privilege not a right. You don't have right to endanger others when you are using a cell phone. My right not to be endangered trumps irresponsible behavior like driving while drunk, texting, or distracted driving while using a cell phone.

You do not have a right not to be endangered, especially on the roads. You give up that right every time you drive. Driving is inherently dangerous...regardless of phones or food, or kids. Driving may be a privilege, but my car is an extension of my home as many laws have already upheld. You can no more stop me from talking on the phone in my car than you can in my home.

I can't remember the last time I saw this many responses to a Patch article! Advertisers must be going woo-hoo! The staff deserves a bonus!!

yes i totally support a total ban ! theres so many people around here who can even walk ,talk and chew bubble gum simultanously .
much less behind the wheel on a cell phone ,
one common denomenator ,the obama sticker on de back of de car !anything from driving 2o under the speed limit to jus slaming on THERE brakes cuz there lost and cant do three things at once .
as time progresses everyone needs every least little thing SPELLED out for them .obama bot spelled out that is .
because THAY cant figure it out for themselves and what ever THAY do has to include everyone else with them .
common sence is a big word but at what level were thay taught ,this is why government has to take over and make all kinda rules up TO TEACH IT

Any class A CDL holders want to chime in on the fines we already face if caught in a commercial vehicle for talking on a phone while driving without a hands free device? $2500.00 Yes that's right $2500.00 for the first offense. Although I am not a regular driver a class A CDL is required by a large grocery corporation I work for to hold my job as a fleet technician. The penalties for CDL holders are MUCH stiffer even when in our personal vehicles for any moving violation. Non CDL holders should be held to the same standard. Banning anything never works,never has it just makes lawmakers and govt feel like they have accomplished something. Just because a car weighs much less than a semi doesn't make it less lethal as with our guns (another subject) its the people not using the brains God gave them when behind any machinery. When you factor in the human element with any machinery there is going to be accidents and tragedies. So why not extend this $2500 fine to regular drivers? Total bans never solve anything.

Over the years, I would say I was opposed to the handheld ban, but I now see SO many people texting while driving, it might be the only solution to that problem. Enforcement of texting while driving appears to be nonexistent.

Hey, the old law isn't working, let pass a new law...that will work for sure. Brilliant. ...meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

I think the cell phone use is just a symptom, probably not the major problem. The major problem is people are, generally, stupid, and you can't legislate intelligence. People that stop in the left lane because they're about to pass their turn on the right, or people that apply makeup while driving, read the newspaper, text, swerve, change lanes without signaling, drive slow in the left lane, stop on entrance ramps, stop and back up because they've missed their exit ramp, come to a stop in order to make a right turn into a driveway, take your pick. It's far too easy to get a license, and we expect nobody in this society to be responsible drivers and pay attention. People still text while driving, no reason to think they'll stop using cell phones just because there's a law.

Just sayin....

It's absolutely unfathomable that GA doesn't have a law already against using a handheld phone while driving. People are already reckless drivers, allowing them to use their hands on a phone while driving just adds fuel to the flame. Get with the times, GA!!