Though the sample size is small — only two months' worth of comparable data — it appears to be a mixed bag for the new hands-free driving law in Hall County.
According to numbers released Friday by the Hall County Sheriff's Office, distracted driving citations were cut by 65-percent for the month of July, compared to July 2017.
In July 2017, deputies issued 37 citations for distracted driving, though it's worth noting that distracted driving does not necessarily indicate a driver was using, or even holding, a cell phone. Changing the radio station, yelling at children in the back seat and even picking up a piece of trash from the floor are all considered forms of distracted driving.
Still, those numbers dropped significantly in July 2018, when deputies issued just 13 citations and two warnings.
Where the numbers take a detour, however, is when the Gainesville Police Department figures are factored in. Gainesville officers issued 37 citations and 124 warnings in the first month.
"During the first month our main focus has been on educating the motoring public and reminding them to change their everyday driving behavior to accommodate the new law," said Sgt. Kevin Holbrook in an email to AccessWDUN.
The Georgia State Patrol reported similar findings to those of the sheriff's office, according to the numbers provided by Post 6, which covers Hall, Banks and White counties.
"I did expect there to be many, more violations than what I've observed," said Sgt. Auston Allen with GSP in a prior interview with AccessWDUN.
"Granted, people are still on the phone and probably always will be, but it doesn't seem as if it is as prevalent as it once was. Folks are not driving down the road with one hand on the wheel and the other up to their ear."
GSP issued 28 citations and 58 warnings for distracted driving in the first month of the new hands free law.
