Distracted driving (Atlanta, Ga.), 2021

Georgia Traffic Safety Facts
2021 Data

April 2023
Key Findings
54 percent of all motor vehicle traffic crashes had at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver.
29 percent of all serious injury crashes involved at least one driver confirmed or suspected of distraction.
According to the 2022 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey, 16.8 percent of all drivers were observed to have some form of distraction (i.e., talking, texting, dialing, or eating).
75 percent of all distractionrelated crashes involved at least one other vehicle besides the distracted driver.
Since the Hands-Free Law took effect, the number of distracted driving convictions processed by the Department of Driver Services continues to increase. Additionally, statewide and national studies show that distracted driving remains a growing traffic safety concern.
Drivers aged 15-to-24 years had the highest proportion of drivers involved in distractionrelated motor vehicle crashes and received more distracted driving citations after a crash compared to any other age group.
Governor's Office of Highway Safety
7 M.L.K. Jr Dr SE Suite #643 Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-6996 www.gahighwaysafety.org

Distracted Driving

For the purposes of this fact sheet, a distraction-related crash is any crash in which a driver was reported as a confirmed distracted driver or identified as a suspected distracted driver.

Driver distraction occurs when drivers divert their attention from the driving task to focus on some other activity. Often discussions regarding distracted driving center around cell phone use and texting; however, distracted driving also includes other distraction-related activities that are manual, visual, or cognitive. Activities, particularly cell phone use, can cover multiple types of distraction.

MANUAL
involves touching something within
the vehicle
Holding or touching a phone
Eating, drinking, or smoking
Moving things in the vehicle,
such as pets, insects, or objects
Changing the radio or climate
controls
Adjusting other vehicle
devices or controls
Grooming or personal
hygiene

VISUAL
involves looking at something other than
the road
Looking at a phone
display
Reading or typing a
text, email, or message
Looking at a billboard
Looking at an event,
object, or person outside the vehicle

COGNITIVE
involves thinking about something that
occupies your mind
Conversations
Daydreaming
Thinking about an
argument
Worrying about
something or someone
Loud noises in or
outside the vehicle, such as ringing mobile devices, loud music, or ambulance sirens

It is important to note that the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System (CODES) at the Georgia Department of Public Health may revise the definitions of confirmed or suspected distraction-related crashes. It is also important to acknowledge the inherent limitations in the data collection within the police crash reports for distraction-related crashes and the resulting injuries and fatalities. As such, there are challenges and limitations in comparing and interpreting distraction-related crashes over time.
From a law enforcement perspective, confirming a distraction as a contributing factor in a crash is challenging. Most often, distraction is selfreported by the driver for non-injury, non-fatal, single-occupant crashes and is likely biased. Subsequently, distraction-related crashes are underreported.

Page 1

2022 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Study
The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University conducted a roadside observational survey of driver distraction--over 34,000 observations across 400 sites within 20 Georgia counties between May and July 2022. According to the 2022 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey1, 16.8 percent of all drivers were observed to have some form of distraction while operating a motor vehicle (i.e., talking, texting, dialing, or eating). This suggests that at any point in time or location on Georgia roadways, at least 1 out of 6 drivers may be distracted. Unlike seatbelt observations, drivers are not constantly distracted throughout their travel time--each distracted driving observation is a snapshot of time and place.
The following are key findings from the 2022 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey.
16.8 percent of drivers of cars, trucks, SUVs, and
vans/minivans were observed to have some form of distraction, such as talking, texting, dialing, or eating.
The rate of driver distraction was higher among
those who were unbelted (23.2 percent) than those who were belted (15.8 percent).
Driver distraction was higher in Atlanta MSAs
(17.6 percent) than in non-Atlanta MSAs (13.5 percent) and rural areas (13.3 percent).
Distracted driving was higher for women (17.9
percent) than for men (15.7 percent).
Driver distraction also decreased with increasing
age.
Distracted driving was higher on weekdays (17.9
percent) than on weekends (11.6 percent). This was true for all types of distractions.
Distraction involving a hand-held device was
nearly twice as high on weekdays (6.3 percent) than on weekends (3.4 percent), and texting/dialing on a hand-held device was more than twice as high on weekdays (5.0 percent) than on weekends (2.3 percent).

According to the 2022 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey, nearly 17 percent of all drivers were observed to have some form of distraction. In other words, at least 1 out of 6 drivers at any time and location on Georgia roadways may be distracted.

1 Rupp, Jonathan. 2023. "Statewide Rates of Driver Distraction: An Observational Survey of Driver Distraction in Georgia, 2022". The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE), Emory University: Atlanta, Georgia.
Page 2

Distracted Drivers Involved in Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes

In 2021, 54 percent of motor vehicle traffic crashes fit the criteria of having at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver. This finding aligns with naturalistic driving studies that used video cameras and sensors installed in vehicles to determine driver risk factors seconds before a crash. According to a multi-state naturalistic study, 51.93 percent of all crashes involved distracted, non-impaired drivers.2
Among the drivers involved in motor vehicle traffic crashes, 2 percent were confirmed to be distracted seconds before the crash, 28 percent were suspected of distraction3, and 24 percent were undistracted drivers--the other 47 percent of drivers were not involved in distraction-related crashes. Most distraction-related crashes involved other vehicles --
75 percent of all distraction-related crashes involved at least one other vehicle besides the distracted driver.
25 percent of all distraction-related crashes were single-vehicle crashes that only involved the distracted driver's vehicle.
Furthermore, among all single-vehicle crashes, 64 percent involved at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver. Among all multi-vehicle crashes, 51 percent involved at least one confirmed or suspected distracted driver.

Table 1: Percent of All Traffic Crashes that

were Distraction-Related, 2021

Traffic Measure

2021

Crashes

Distraction-Related Crashes
Confirmed distraction-related crashes
Suspected distraction-related crashes

54% 4%
49%

Not distraction-related crashes

47%

Drivers
Drivers involved in distraction-related crashes

54%

Confirmed distracted driver

2%

Suspected distracted driver

28%

Undistracted driver (in another vehicle)
Drivers not involved in distractionrelated crashes
Source: CODES 2021

24% 47%

54%
of all motor vehicle traffic crashes had at least one
confirmed or suspected
distracted driver
in 2021.

Distraction-Related Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries
According to CODES preliminary data, 50 fatal crashes involved at least one confirmed distracted driver (3.0 percent of all fatal crashes) in 2021. In these confirmed distraction-related crashes, 56 fatalities occurred (3.1 percent of all traffic-related fatalities).
The true number of distraction-related fatal crashes and fatalities is likely much higher. Table 2 shows the number and percent of confirmed distraction-related fatal crashes and traffic fatalities between 2017 and 2021.

Although it is challenging for law enforcement to determine whether distraction is a contributing factor in a fatal crash, the police crash report may be the only source available for this information. Therefore, the number of confirmed distractionrelated fatalities and serious injuries is usually underreported.

2 Dingus, T. A., Guo, F., Lee, S., Antin, J. F., Perez, M., Buchanan-King, M., & Hankey, J. (2016). Driver crash risk factors and prevalence evaluation using naturalistic driving data. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(10), 2636-2641. doi:10.1073/pnas.1513271113 3 See Data Considerations for more information on the suspected-distracted driving definition established by the GDOT and CODES

Page 3

Table 2. Confirmed Distraction-Related Fatal Crashes and Traffic Fatalities, 2017-2021

Fatal Crashes

Fatalities

Year 2017

Total Fatal Crashes
1,440

Confirmed Distraction-Related

Number

Percent

75

5.2%

Total Traffic Fatalities
1,540

Confirmed Distraction-Related

Number

Percent

82

5.3%

2018

1,408

59

4.2%

1,505

65

4.3%

2019

1,378

43

3.1%

1,492

43

2.9%

2020

1,522

55

3.6%

1,664

61

3.7%

2021

1,670

50

Source: FARS 2017-2021

3.0%

1,797

56

3.1%

In 2021, 29 percent of all serious injury4 crashes involved at least one driver confirmed or suspected of distraction. The number of serious injuries that involved a confirmed distracted driver increased by 2 percent-- from 347 serious injuries in 2020 to 354 in 2021.
Figure 1 shows the percent of fatalities or serious injuries involving at least one confirmed distracted driver by person type in 2021.
50 percent were in the confirmed distracted
driver's vehicle (represented by gray in Figure 1).
- 38 percent were distracted drivers themselves.
- 12 percent were passengers of the distracted driver.
50 percent were occupants of other vehicles
or non-motorists (represented by brown in Figure 1).
- 35 percent were occupants of other vehicles not operated by the distracted driver.
- 15 percent were non-motorists (i.e., pedestrians or bicyclists).
Almost two-thirds of confirmed distracted drivers involved in motor vehicle crashes did not have passenger occupants with them in the vehicle--64 percent. Thirty-six percent of confirmed distracted drivers had other passenger occupants riding with them.

Figure 1. Percent of Persons Fatally or Seriously Injured in Confirmed Distraction-Related Crashes by Person Type, 2021
Distracted vehicle
Undistracted vehicle or non-motorists

Non-Motorists 15% (63)

Confirmed Distracted Drivers
38% (154)

Occupants of Other Vehicles
35% (144)
56 Fatal Injuries 354 Serious Injuries
Source: FARS 2021, CODES 2021

Passengers of Confirmed
Distracted Drivers 12% (49)

Based on the "2022 Observational Survey of Driver Distraction in Georgia,"5 the driver distraction rate was higher among unrestrained drivers than restrained drivers 23 percent of unrestrained drivers were
observed to be distracted, and 16 percent of
restrained drivers were distracted.

4 Suspected serious injuries are reported by law enforcement and used when any injury, other than fatal injury, prevents the injured person from walking, driving, or normally
continuing the activities the person was capable of before the injury occurred. 5 Rupp, Jonathan. 2023. "Statewide Rates of Driver Distraction: An Observational Survey of Driver Distraction in Georgia, 2022". The Injury Prevention Research Center at
Emory (IPRCE), Emory University: Atlanta, Georgia. Page 4

Crash Characteristics
Table 3 below shows the rate of distraction-related motor vehicle traffic crashes (per 100M VMT) by region type and roadway classification in 2021.
The ten counties in the Atlanta region had the highest rates of distraction-related crashes
on principal arterial roads--1,116.0 distraction-related crashes out of every 100M VMT.
Other urban counties had the highest rates of distraction-related crashes on minor arterial
roads--1,203.2 distraction-related crashes out of every 100M VMT.
Rural counties had the highest rate of distraction-related crashes on collector roads--
625.6 distraction-related crash rate (per 100M VMT).
Across all counties in Georgia, minor arterial roads had the highest rate of distraction-
related crashes--811.6 distraction-related crash rate (per 100M VMT).

Table 3: Distraction-Related Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Rate (per 100M VMT) by Region and Roadway Classification, 2021

Roadway Classification

Atlanta Region6 (10 counties)

Other Urban Counties (31 counties)

Rural Counties (118 counties)

Statewide

Interstate

654.2

343.7

83.1

409.9

Principal Arterial

1,116.0

1,090.2

276.2

793.1

Minor Arterial

1,100.5

1,203.2

256.5

811.6

Collectors

750.1

419.3

625.6

566.6

Local

416.7

712.6

193.5

400.8

All Roadways

829.0

803.5

256.3

625.8

Note: The sum of the individual cells may not equal to row or column totals due to rounding error. Total includes freeway/ramp roadway classifications. Source: Roadway data obtained for Numetric, 2021

Figure 2 shows the proportion of all motor vehicle crashes that were distraction-related by county and

their deviation from the statewide percent of distraction-related crashes (54 percent). For additional

information, see the Appendix for the percent of distraction-related crashes by county. Generally, there

are lower proportions of distraction-related crashes among all crashes in the coastal plain and South

Georgia region.

Figure 2: Percent of Distraction-Related Traffic
Eight out of the ten counties within the Crashes and Deviation from the Statewide Percent
Atlanta Region had a greater percentage by County, 2021

of distraction-related crashes compared

to the statewide percent.

Six out of 31 other urban counties and 34
out of 118 rural counties had a greater percentage of distraction-related crashes compared to the statewide percent.

28-40% Distraction-Related Crashes 41-50% 51-57% -- statewide percent (54%) 58-67% 68-78%

The counties with the highest proportion

of distraction-related crashes are

Crawford (72 percent) and Baker (70 percent)--which are classified as rural counties.

Source: CODES 2021 Note: Counties that are light to dark green have a lower percentage of distraction-related crashes compared to the statewide percent. Counties that are orange and red have a higher percentage of distraction-related crashes compared to the statewide percent.

6 The Atlanta Region includes the ten counties that are defined by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC): Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties.
Page 5

Distracted Driver Convictions (Crash and Non-Crash)

On July 1, 2018, Georgia's Hands-Free Law (O.C.G.A. 40-6-241) furthered the "no texting while driving" law and made it illegal for drivers (including young drivers) to physically hold or support a wireless communications device while driving. Under this law, drivers can be cited and convicted for distracted driving that may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. Amendments to the law also provided the point system for suspension or revocation of license for habitually negligent or dangerous drivers. While firsttime offenders of Georgia's Hands-Free Law can be excused if they provide evidence that they have obtained a device that allows them to use hands-free communication technology, the increase in enforcement and convictions for distracted driving indicates a growing traffic safety concern. See the "Legal Perspective" section for more information regarding how the legal codes for distracted driving citations and convictions have changed over time in Georgia.

Table 4 presents the number of distracted driver convictions (that may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash), licensed drivers, and distracted driver conviction rates from 2012 to 2021.
While the number of distracted driving convictions increased steadily over the 10year period, the number of convictions reported to DDS more than doubled from 2017 to 2018 (2.2 times) and from 2018 to 2019 (2.6 times). In 2021, the number of distracted driving convictions and rate per licensed drivers increased by 41 percent and 35 percent, respectively, compared to 2020.
Figure 3 shows the number of distracted driver convictions processed by DDS from January 2017 to December 2021. After the law took effect, the number of convictions processed by DDS increased 5.5 times during the first 18 months, from 965 distracted driver convictions in July 2018 to 5,344 in December 2019. However, the number of distracted driving convictions processed by DDS decreased significantly during the 2020 year during the COVID-19 public health emergency response in Georgia. The higher number of distracted driving convictions processed in 2021 suggests that the court reporting and processing may have returned to pre-pandemic norms.

Table 4: Distracted Driver Convictions, Licensed Drivers,

and Distracted Driver Conviction Rate, 2012-2021

Distracted

Year

Driver

Convictions

Licensed Drivers

Distracted Driver Conviction Rate per 100,000 Licensed Drivers

2012

3,594

7,002,114

51.3

2013

5,162

7,043,349

73.3

2014

5,837

7,099,538

82.2

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

6,883 9,148 11,505 25,593 65,625 31,173

7,263,758 7,337,619 7,414,323 7,512,197 7,616,176 7,891,390

94.8 124.7 155.2 340.7 861.7 395.0

2021

43,846

8,223,689

533.2

Note: Distracted driver convictions may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. The distracted driver convictions are summarized by the year the violation occurred. License totals include individuals with permits/provisional licenses and unexpired, suspended licenses. Source: DDS 2012-2021

Figure 3: Distracted Driver Convictions, Jan 2017 Dec 2021

Governor declared a Public Health

State of Emergency for COVID-19

7,000

March 2020

6,000 Georgia's Hands-Free Law 5,000 Effective July 1, 2018
4,000

3,000

2018 Jul

2,000

965

2019 Oct 6,194

1,000

-

2021 May 6,443 2021 Dec 3,588
2020 May 1,609

Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

The COVID-19 response caused many Georgia courts to temporarily postpone court hearings, including traffic court, and many traffic safety law enforcement officers were reassigned to other critical and high-priority areas. Therefore, many distracted driving convictions may not have been reported to the Department of Driver Services.

Note: Distracted driver convictions may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. The distracted driver convictions are summarized by the year DDS processed the conviction. Source: DDS 2017-2021 Distracted Driver Report by Process Month.

Page 6

Table 5 shows the counties with the highest number of distracted driving convictions processed by DDS and the rate of distracted driver convictions per 100,000 licensed drivers in 2021.
Gwinnett County has consistently had the highest number of distracted driving convictions compared to any other county. From 2011-2017 (before the Hands-Free Law), Gwinnett represented 26 percent of all distracted driving convictions across the state. In 2021, however, Gwinnett represented 15 percent of all distracted driving convictions reported across the state--indicative of Gwinnett's consistent enforcement of distracted driving laws and other counties increasing their distracted driving enforcement. The top five counties with the greatest number of distracted convictions processed by DDS represented 32 percent of all distracted driving convictions (13,920 out of 43,848)--the remaining 154 Georgia counties represented 68 percent of all distracted driving convictions.
Of all drivers issued one or more citations involved in a motor vehicle traffic crash, nearly two out of every 100 drivers received a distracted driving citation. Table 6 shows the counties with the highest number of distracted driver citations issued after a motor vehicle traffic crash incident and the rate of distracted driver citations for every 1,000 distraction-related motor vehicle crashes in 2021. The top five counties with the greatest number of distracted driving citations issued after a crash represented 32 percent of all distracted driving citations issued after a crash (1,328 out of 4,158)-- the remaining 154 Georgia counties represented 68 percent of all distracted driving citations after a crash.

Table 5: Top Five Counties with the Highest Distracted Driver Convictions and Distracted Driver Conviction Rate, 2021

Number of Distracted Driver
Convictions

Distracted Driver Conviction Rate per 100,000 Licensed Drivers

Rank

County

Number Rank County

Rate

1 Gwinnett

6,552

1 Banks

2,687.0

2 Fulton

3,210

2 Jenkins

2,612.7

3 Cobb

1,467

3 Coffee

1,985.1

4 Hall

1,440

4 Liberty

1,848.3

5 Henry

1,251

5 Worth

1,789.1

Note: The distracted driving violations presented in the table occurred in 2019 and may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. While firsttime offenders of Georgia's Hands-Free Law can be excused if they provide evidence that they have obtained a device that allows them to use hands-free communication technology, the increase in enforcement and convictions for distracted driving indicates a growing traffic safety concern. Source: DDS 2021

Table 6: Top Five Counties with the Highest Distracted Driver Citations Issued After a Motor Vehicle (MV) Traffic Crash and Distracted Driver Citation Rate, 2021

Number of Distracted Driver Citations Issued After a
MV Crash

Distracted Driver Citation Rate
per 1,000 Suspected or Confirmed
Distracted Driving Crashes

Rank County

Number Rank County

Rate

1 Fulton

438

1 Echols

333.3

2 Chatham

282

2 Crawford

309.6

3 Cobb

252

3 Pulaski

214.3

4 Lowndes

188

4 Terrell

156.9

5 Gwinnett

168

5 Lanier

144.7

Source: CODES 2021 Note: Rates were calculated when the number of citations in the county was greater than or equal to five.

See the "Additional Information" to access the Appendix for this document. The appendix includes the following information by county: Licensed drivers Distracted driver citations issued after a motor vehicle traffic crash incident Convictions processed by the Department of Driver Services Percent distraction-
related motor vehicle crashes.
Page 7

Distracted Drivers by Age Group
While drivers aged 15-to-24 years represented 15 percent of all licensed drivers in 2021, they were more involved in distraction-related motor vehicle crashes and received more distracted driving citations after a crash compared to any other age group (Table 7). Compared to drivers in other age groups, drivers aged 15-to-24 years represented:
27 percent of all suspected or confirmed distracted
drivers involved in crashes;
20 percent of all confirmed distracted drivers involved
in fatal crashes;
34 percent of all drivers issued a distracted driver
citation after a crash; and
22 percent of all distracted driving convictions.

According to the 2019 High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 30 percent of Georgia high school students texted or e-mailed while driving a car or other vehicle
during the 30 days before the survey7.

Table 7: Licensed Drivers, Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers Involved in Types of Motor Vehicle (MV) Crashes, Distracted Driver Citations Issued after a Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driver Convictions by Age Group, 2021

Age Group
15-24

Licensed Drivers
15%

Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Driver Involved in a
Crash
27%

Confirmed Distracted Driver Involved in a
Fatal Crash*
20%

Distracted Driver Distracted Driver

Citations Issued

Convictions

Post-Crash (Crash or Non-Crash)

34%

22%

15-20

8%

14%

10%

18%

9%

21-24

7%

13%

9%

16%

13%

25-34

17%

25%

24%

28%

31%

35-44

16%

17%

15%

17%

22%

45-54

16%

13%

15%

11%

13%

55-64

16%

10%

9%

7%

8%

65+

20%

7%

16%

3%

3%

TOTAL 100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Note: Distracted driver convictions may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. Percents are calculated using records with known age over 15 years. * FARS 2021 data was not available during the time of reporting. Source: DDS 2021, CODES 2021

According to the 2020 Georgia Distracted Driving Observational Survey, observed distracted driving decreases as age increases. In 2022, 23 percent of drivers aged 16 to 24 years, 17 percent of drivers aged 25 to 69 years, and 8 percent of drivers 70 years and older were observed to be distracted while driving.

Figure 4: Observed Driver Distraction in Georgia by Age Group, 2022

23%

17%

8%

16-24

25-69

70+

Age Group (Years)

7 The YRBS is conducted every two years among a representative group of Georgia public school students.

Page 8

Other Distracted Driving Studies
As of July 2020, Georgia is one of a few states that banned the handheld use of cell phones and text messaging while driving. According to a Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) study, distracted driving reduced after Georgia's Hands-Free Law was enacted on July 1, 2018. The study showed a 23.7 percent reduction after the first two weeks and a 17.9 percent reduction after the first three months the Georgia law took effect (CMT, 2020 ). Despite these immediate reductions in distracted driving after the law was enacted, other national studies (including crash data and attitudinal surveys) show that the change in driver behavior was not sustainable, especially with the growth of new technologies.
The CMT study estimates that drivers spent 1 minute and 38 seconds on average distracted on
their phones for each hour of driving in February 2022 a 30 percent increase compared to February 2020 (CMT, 2022 ).
Additionally, in a 2020 observational study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration, 2.8 percent of all drivers were observed holding a cell phone to their ears while driving. This study also estimates that 7.9 percent of drivers were using a handheld or hands-free cellphone device during daylight hours (National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 2020 ).
Page 9

Legal Perspective
On July 1, 2018, Georgia's Hands-Free Law furthered expanded the "no texting while driving" law and made it illegal for drivers (including young drivers) to have a phone in their hand or for a phone to touch any part of their body while talking on their phone and driving. This policy change provided greater specification for a distracted driving offense and clarification of the Hands-Free Law for law enforcement to further address distracted driving on Georgia roadways.
The number of convictions processed by DDS more than doubled from 2017 to 2018 (2.2 times) and from 2018 to 2019 (2.5 times).
The most common code used before the Hands-Free Law was O.C.G.A. 40-6-241 "Failure to exercise due care/careless driving."
After the Hands-Free Law became effective, O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(c) "Unlawful use of wireless device" is the most commonly used legal code in distracted driving convictions.

Table 8: Distracted Driver Convictions Reported to Department of Driver Services by Legal Code and Violation Year, 2012-2021

Convictions Codes

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241 Failure to exercise due care/careless driving O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(b) Failure to exercise due care O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(c) Unlawful use of wireless device O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(d) Unlawful use of wireless device in Commercial Motor Vehicle
O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.18*
Unlawful use of wireless device <18 / using hand-held phone, driving O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2 * Operating a vehicle while text messaging/texting while driving O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2(b)(1) Operating a vehicle while text messaging/texting while driving O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2(b)(2)(A) Holding wireless device for voice communication/using hand-held phone, driving O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2(b)(2)(B) Using >1 button on wireless device for voice comm./using hand-held phone, driving O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2(b)(2)(C) Reaching for wireless device/using hand-held phone, driving

2,460 57
1,077 -
-
-

2,601 -
204 2,357
-
-
-

2,756 3,895

-

-

-

-

-

-

278 217

2,803 801

- 1,943

-

26

-

1

-

-

5,231 -
373 -
3,432
109
3 -

7,175 3,818 -

- 2,778 4,802 - 16,702 60,729

-

47

94

491 230

-

-

-

-

3,702 1,938 -

131 76

-

6

4

-

-

-

-

TOTAL

3,594 5,162 5,837 6,883 9,148 11,505 25,593 65,625

Source: Distracted Driver Convictions Reported to Department of Driver Services Summarized by Violation Year, 2021

2020 -
2,170 28,957
46 -
-
31,173

2021 -
4,092 39,627
127 -
-
43,846

8 * O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.1 and O.C.G.A. 40-6-241.2 repealed by 2018 Ga. Laws 298, 6, eff. 7/1/2018.

Page 10

Data Definitions and Considerations:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines confirmed distraction-related activities as anything that takes a driver's eyes off the road (visual distraction), mind off the road (cognitive distraction), or hands off the wheel (manual distraction).
Police crash reports are reviewed in a post hoc analysis by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, Georgia Department of Public Health, and the Georgia Department of Transportation using a jointly developed definition of suspected distracted driving based on multiple factors. The imputation of suspected distracted drivers includes drivers that indicate emotional distress and evidence of driver inattention and distraction. The imputation removes driver contributing factors that include drug/alcohol impairment, sleepiness/drowsiness, aggressive/reckless driving, and speeding. The definition also excludes roadway and vehicle contributing factors. The CODES Analytical Reference Guide is available upon request.
A traffic crash is defined as an incident that involved one or more motor vehicles where at least one vehicle was in transport, and the crash originated on a public trafficway, such as a road or highway. Crashes that occurred on private property, including parking lots and driveways, are excluded.
Fatal crashes are defined as crashes that involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and that resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
Suspected serious injuries are reported by law enforcement and used when any injury, other than fatal injury, prevents the injured person from walking, driving, or normally continuing the activities the person was capable of before the injury occurred.
The Department of Driver Services licensing database is a live database system and represents the information at a point-in-time on the date of extraction.
The Georgia's Hands-Free Law (House Bill 673 (O.C.G.A. 40-6-241)) of 2018 introduced new legal codes to enforce the "no texting while driving" law. Some Georgia counties may not have reported distracted driver convictions in 2019.

Additional Information:
Other general information on distracted driving may be accessed at:
Appendix: Distracted Drivers Georgia Traffic Safety Facts
https://dds.georgia.gov/distracted-driverdata-reports
https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/highwaysafety/shsp/
Other fact sheets available at the Governor's Office of Highway Safety and Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation Systems (CODES) are Older Drivers, Young Drivers, Motorcycles, Non-Motorists (Pedestrians & Bicyclists), and Occupant Protection.
The suggested APA format citation for this document is:
Crash Outcomes Data Evaluation System. (2023, April). Distracted Drivers: 2021 Preliminary data. (Georgia Traffic Safety Facts). Atlanta, GA: Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

References:
Rupp, Jonathan. 2023. "Statewide Rates of Driver Distraction: An Observational Survey of Driver Distraction in Georgia, 2022". The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory (IPRCE), Emory University: Atlanta, Georgia.
Dingus, T. A., Guo, F., Lee, S., Antin, J. F., Perez, M., BuchananKing, M., &amp; Hankey, J. (2016). Driver crash risk factors and prevalence evaluation using naturalistic driving data. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(10), 2636-2641. doi:10.1073/pnas.1513271113
Distracted Driver Report by Violation Year. Georgia Department of Driver Services. https://dds.georgia.gov/distracted-driver-datareports [Accessed March 20, 2022]
National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2021, November). Driver electronic device use in 2020 (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 813 184). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Available online: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813 184
Cambridge Mobile Telematics (2022). "2022 US Distracted Driving Report." Available online: www.cmtelematics.com/the-2022-usdistracted-driving-report.
Cambridge Mobile Telematics (2020). "The Harsh Realities of Phone Distraction." Available online: https://www.cmtelematics.com/phone_distraction_report/
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Appendix
Distracted Drivers Georgia Traffic Safety Facts (2021)
This document is the appendix for the 2021 Distracted Drivers Georgia Traffic Safety Facts. Visit https://www.gahighwaysafety.org/highway-safety/shsp/ to access the full report.

Distracted Driver convictions are convictions processed at the Georgia Department of Driver Services. The total convictions include the following codes based on the county where the violation occurred.

O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(b) O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(c) O.C.G.A. 40-6-241(d)

Failure to exercise due care Unlawful use of wireless device Unlawful use of wireless device in CMV

Data Considerations: On July 1, 2018, Georgia's Hands-Free Law furthered the "no texting while driving" law and made it illegal for drivers
(including young drivers) to physically hold or support a wireless communications device while driving. Under Georgia's Hands-Free Law, drivers can be cited and convicted for distracted driving that may or may not have resulted in a motor vehicle traffic crash. While first-time offenders of Georgia's Hands-Free Law can be excused if they provide evidence that they have obtained a device that allows them to use hands-free communication technology, the increase in enforcement and convictions for distracted driving indicates a growing traffic safety concern. Gwinnett County has consistently had the highest number of distracted driving convictions compared to any other county. From 2011-2017 (prior to the Hands-Free Law), Gwinnett represented 26 percent of all distracted driving convictions across the state. Some Georgia counties may not have reported all or any distracted driver convictions in 2021. There were ten (10) distracted driving convictions in 2021, where the county of violation was unknown.

Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2021

County Name
STATEWIDE Appling Atkinson Bacon Baker Baldwin Banks Barrow Bartow Ben Hill Berrien Bibb Bleckley Brantley Brooks Bryan Bulloch Burke

Licensed Drivers
8,223,689 14,119 5,603 8,098 2,334 30,008 16,747 72,636 93,016 12,374 14,216
108,468 9,306
14,073 11,328 37,453 52,657 18,406

Distracted Driving Citations Issued
After a Crash 4,158
5 8 8 1 10 5 15 115 6 27 12 3 8 18 7 103 5

Distracted Driving Convictions
43,846 46 16 -
138 450 154 699
85 248 171
61 7
117 827
82

Percent Distraction-Related MV Traffic Crashes
54%
60% 41% 43% 70% 55% 60% 52% 55% 50% 52% 51% 36% 43% 44% 52% 51% 54%

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Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2021 (con't)

County Name
Butts Calhoun Camden Candler Carroll Catoosa Charlton Chatham Chattahoochee Chattooga Cherokee Clarke Clay Clayton Clinch Cobb Coffee Colquitt Columbia Cook Coweta Crawford Crisp Dade Dawson Decatur Dekalb Dodge Dooly Dougherty Douglas Early Echols Effingham Elbert Emanuel Evans Fannin Fayette Floyd Forsyth Franklin Fulton

Licensed Drivers
20,778 3,372
43,998 8,219
98,134 55,140
7,687 218,684
4,635 19,293 223,816 78,005
2,219 200,849
4,808 589,633
29,167 32,839 127,525 13,501 123,589 10,326 15,089 13,753 26,861 20,934 536,885 13,782
7,040 59,373 112,043
8,025 2,557 56,035 16,259 16,884 7,624 23,791 104,153 75,842 205,799 19,669 777,984

Distracted Driving Citations Issued
After a Crash 2 1 13 1 53 75 2
282 2
10 63 47
1 134
2 252
30 20 15
26 61 14
3 25 12 102
6 11 32 41
3 8 7 2 5 3 10 34 38 40 15 438

Distracted Driving Convictions
74 14 183 66 566 421
1,111
24 961
3 18 781
1 1,467
579 158 385 123 1,161
19 60 39 327 55 1,143 39 47 507 257
7 258 103 122 25 124 1,023 649 613 177 3,210

Percent Distraction-Related MV Traffic Crashes
51% 55% 41% 38% 51% 53% 51% 49% 31% 50% 58% 51% 50% 55% 37% 56% 37% 47% 61% 44% 55% 72% 46% 55% 59% 40% 58% 41% 44% 43% 50% 55% 59% 50% 47% 36% 33% 50% 57% 54% 58% 56% 52%
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Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2021 (con't)

County Name
Gilmer Glascock Glynn Gordon Grady Greene Gwinnett Habersham Hall Hancock Haralson Harris Hart Heard Henry Houston Irwin Jackson Jasper Jeff Davis Jefferson Jenkins Johnson Jones Lamar Lanier Laurens Lee Liberty Lincoln Long Lowndes Lumpkin Macon Madison Marion McDuffie McIntosh Meriwether Miller Mitchell Monroe Montgomery

Licensed Drivers
27,772 2,279
67,843 46,971 17,877 17,267 716,264 37,335 168,257
6,243 26,372 30,408 22,308
9,984 198,244 128,960
7,240 66,890 13,246 10,982 12,220
5,703 6,144 23,902 16,283 6,754 38,636 26,943 46,963 6,926 12,969 83,472 26,634 7,714 25,910 5,926 16,948 10,394 18,738 4,316 15,485 28,277 6,315

Distracted Driving Citations Issued
After a Crash 10 23 33 7 5
168 32
133 6
17 8 2
58 88
9 21
2 3 6 2 1 4 11 21 11 81 5 188 14 9 7 2 6 3 5 1 11 3 -

Distracted Driving Convictions
64 -
1,082 189 279 17
6,552 224
1,440 2
15 198
1 6 1,251 734 18 205 11 36 67 149 114 39 25 263 213 868 99 425 121 124 26 37 35 76 36 308 31

Percent Distraction-Related MV Traffic Crashes
49% 35% 51% 49% 37% 57% 60% 53% 55% 53% 45% 48% 53% 57% 57% 52% 45% 52% 58% 30% 28% 38% 45% 66% 56% 46% 43% 51% 47% 46% 56% 47% 55% 41% 61% 46% 48% 36% 48% 33% 53% 58% 54%
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Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2021 (con't)

County Name
Morgan Murray Muscogee Newton Oconee Oglethorpe Paulding Peach Pickens Pierce Pike Polk Pulaski Putnam Quitman Rabun Randolph Richmond Rockdale Schley Screven Seminole Spalding Stephens Stewart Sumter Talbot Taliaferro Tattnall Taylor Telfair Terrell Thomas Tift Toombs Towns Treutlen Troup Turner Twiggs Union Upson Walker

Licensed Drivers
18,365 31,017 138,626 97,272 35,605 13,148 139,211 20,351 31,363 16,116 17,465 34,485
6,656 19,304
1,740 15,541
4,716 139,348
71,903 3,613
11,268 7,322
56,296 22,351
2,868 20,552
4,868 1,308 15,092 6,157 7,317 6,750 36,002 29,779 20,487 12,112 4,822 54,313 6,511 6,724 24,434 22,737 54,686

Distracted Driving Citations Issued
After a Crash 4 20 74 28 16 2
113 11 8 3 1 9 15 1 6 49 22 4 3 2 20 12 5 14 2 2 6 4 8 28 38 9 4 4 69 18 6 4 9 30

Distracted Driving Convictions
117 293
21 274 129
79 780
88 92
6 253
50 56 73
9 37
2 373 494
16 22 79 638 29 10 226 46
18
3 82 102 274 530 192 106 11 80 104 45 62 233 93

Percent Distraction-Related MV Traffic Crashes
59% 44% 48% 57% 67% 66% 54% 45% 51% 44% 66% 47% 50% 64% 44% 48% 46% 53% 56% 37% 33% 33% 49% 42% 58% 39% 48% 67% 46% 41% 32% 33% 51% 43% 51% 52% 40% 51% 52% 61% 54% 41% 45%
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Licensed Drivers, Citations Issued after Motor Vehicle Crash, Distracted Driving Convictions, and Percent Confirmed or Suspected Distracted Drivers (Distraction-Related) Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes by County, 2021 (con't)

County Name
Walton Ware Warren Washington Wayne Webster Wheeler White Whitfield Wilcox Wilkes Wilkinson Worth

Licensed Drivers
86,764 26,016
4,145 14,851 23,026
1,936 3,768 25,263 77,646 5,523 7,734 7,346 15,315

Distracted Driving Citations Issued
After a Crash 16 12 5 1 1 2 2 12 91 4 7 2 7

Distracted Driving Convictions
296 47 9 52 53 14 17 76
541 -
52 2
274

Percent Distraction-Related MV Traffic Crashes
51% 49% 49% 56% 46% 37% 42% 57% 49% 67% 55% 60% 59%

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