After a distracted driving law banning hand-held cell-phone use went into effect in Georgia, law enforcement officers wrote 1,000 citations in just four days, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Hands-Free Georgia Act went into effect on July 1. The law prohibits motorists from holding their cellphones, though drivers can make calls while behind the wheel via Bluetooth or other hands-free methods.

Getting a bead on compliance with the new measure will take some time. However, the Georgia Department of Public Safety, which patrols interstates, told the Journal-Constitution that its troopers wrote nearly 180 tickets and close to 800 formal warnings from the time the law went into effect through the Fourth of July holiday.

In addition, the Atlanta Police Department and Lawrenceville Police Department wrote 86 and 25 tickets, respectively, for hands-free violations over the same time period, according to the report.

Penalties for hands-free violations begin at $50 for the first offense. The law applies whenever a driver is operating a motor vehicle including while stopped at a red light, stop sign or while stuck in traffic.

Related: Georgia Enacts Hands-Free Law