If you’re sitting at a red light in Georgia and checking your phone, is that considered illegal?
Under the state’s Hands-Free Georgia Act, drivers are not allowed to hold or support a phone with any part of their body while operating a vehicle, and that includes while stopped at red lights or stop signs.
Is it illegal to hold your phone at a red light in Georgia?
Yes. Even if your car is stopped at a red light or a stop sign, you are still considered to be operating the vehicle. That means you cannot pick up or hold your phone to do anything.
When can you legally use your phone in a car?
Bristol Township is the latest Bucks County municipality to add an automatic red light camera program
Drivers in Georgia are only allowed to use phones when they are doing so hands-free, like using Bluetooth, voice commands, speakerphone, or a mounted device.
The only time it’s legal to hold a phone is if the car is legally parked, such as in a parking spot or pulled over off the road, not just stopped at a red light.
What happens if you get caught using your phone while driving?
A driver talks on his phone while driving through downtown Toronto October 26, 2009. A new Ontario ban on cellphones and other hand-held devices while driving started today.
Violating the hands-free law can result in fines and points on your driver’s license. First-time offenders can face a $50 fine and 1 point, while repeated violations bring higher penalties.
Vanessa Countryman is the Trending Topics Reporter for the the Deep South Connect Team Georgia. Email her at Vcountryman@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Is it illegal to use your phone at a red light? Know the Georgia law
