Georgia drivers have been slow to adapt a new law that allows only hands-free use of cell phones. 
 -  Photo via  MPD01605 /Flickr.

Georgia drivers have been slow to adapt a new law that allows only hands-free use of cell phones.

Photo via MPD01605/Flickr.

While 77% of Georgia respondents to a new survey know about a recent hands-free law while driving, more than 60% say they still see drivers texting or emailing behind the wheel, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The data comes from a survey of over 400 residents and was conducted by AAA between Jan. 28 and Feb. 8.

In July 2018, the Hands-Free Georgia Act went into effect. It prohibits drivers from holding cellphones or other wireless devices or supporting them with any body part, notes the report.

However, the AAA survey indicates the recent distracted driving law may not be working as well as advocates had hoped. The survey findings reflect similar attitudes expressed in a survey conducted in January by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

That survey found that that only 45% of respondents said they obeyed the hands-free law all the time and an additional 40% said they complied most of the time. Moreover, approximately 8.5% of respondents said they seldom obey the law and an additional 4.3% said they never obeyed it, notes the Journal-Constitution.

In the first six months the Hands-Free law went into effect in Georgia, it resulted in 8,389 citations — more than double the 3,827 tickets issued for cell-phone related violations in the first six months of 2018.

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