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Georgia

June 2009

Aggressive Driving Laws

Aggressive Driver Actions

Comments
Intent to annoy, harass, molest, intimidate, injure or obstruct another person, while doing one or more of the following: overtaking and passing another vehicle; violating traffic lane markings; following too closely; violating signal, lane change, slowing or stopping laws; impeding traffic flows; reckless driving.  

Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.

Cell Phone Driving Laws

Handheld Ban

All Cell Phone Ban

Text Messaging Ban

Enforcement

Crash
Data
Collected

Pre-
emption
Law

School Bus Drivers

Novice Drivers

All Drivers

School Bus Drivers

Novice Drivers

 

Yes

 

 

  

 

Primary

Yes

 
Sources: American Automobile Association (AAA), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Child Passenger Safety Laws

Child Restraint Required
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)

Adult seat belt Permissible
unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.)

Maximum Fine
First Offense

<5 (and <57") in rear seat if available

>57"; >40 lbs. can use lap belt if lap/shoulder belt unavailable

$50

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.

Drug Impaired Driving Laws

Per Se Laws for Drugs
(Forbidding Prohibited Substances in
Driver's Body)

DEC/DRE Programs
(Providing Law Enforcement Training)
Yes Yes

Source: State Highway Safety Offices.

Drunk Driving Laws

Admin. License
Suspension on
First Offense

Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension

Increased Penalties for High Blood Alc. Concen-
tration (BAC)

Open Container Laws

Repeat Offender Laws

Vehicle and License
Plate
Sanctions

Ignition Inter-
locks

Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity

1 year

Yes

.15

Yes

Yes

Vehicle confiscation

Discretionary

Yes
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Laws

Learner Stage

Intermediate Stage

Full Privilege
Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Required
Supervised
Driving (Hrs.)
(Nighttime hours in parenthesis)

Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Min.
Duration
(Mos.)

Min. Age
(Yrs./Mos.)

Nighttime Driving Restriction

Passenger
Restriction*
(* family members
exempt)

15

12

16

Midnight - 6 a.m.

First 6 mos.–no pass.; second 6 mos.–no more than 1 pass. <21*; thereafter–no more than 3 pass.

18

40 (6)
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) , American Automobile Association (AAA) and State Highway Safety Offices.

Helmet Laws

Motorcyclists

Bicyclists

All Helmet Law

Partial Law

All Helmet Law Repealed

1969

 

  

<16
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Mature Driver Laws

Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.)

Provisions for Mature Drivers

5 or 10; veterans valid until 65 yrs.

5 yrs. for >60; no renewal by mail and vision test for >64
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Seat Belt Laws

Type of Law

Who is Covered
(Yrs.)

In What Seat

Maximum Fine
First Offense
Primary

6-17

All

 $15
>18, pick-up drivers exempted Front
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Segway Laws

Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths

Permitted on Roads

Helmets Required

Minimum Age

Pedestrian Laws Apply

Sidewalks

Yes on streets w/ speed limits up to 35 mph and separate bike lanes

<16

16 to use on highways

Yes
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
Sobriety Checkpoint Laws

Checkpoints Conducted?

Comments

Yes

Conducted weekly
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Speed Limit Laws

Rural Interstates

Urban Interstates

Other Limited Access Roads

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

Cars
(mph)

Trucks
(mph)

70 70 65 65 65 65

Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Speed and Red Light Cameras

State Law

Viola-
tions

Location

Citation Issued to Whom

Liability

Image

Tradi-
tional Enforce-
ment Penalties

Records/ Points/ Penalties

Defenses

Privacy
Per-
mitted

Red light

Various

Registered owner

Owner

License tag, intersection and light

$1,000 max.; 3 points

$70 max.; not a conviction or record offense; no points; not a moving violation; not to be used by insurers

Owner not driver

Images and information not part of public record; must not show identity of any person in vehicle
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
Work Zone Speed Limit Laws

Multiple of Original Fine

Violations Affected

Workers Must Be Present

$100-$2,000 and/or up to 12 months in jail

Speeding

Yes [work zone signs must be posted and either a) work zone personnel, or b) barriers, work vehicles or shoulder or pavement drop offs]

Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.