If you’re driving in Marietta, you got to put your phone down.
The city on Wednesday became the second in Cobb County (and Georgia) to pass a hands-free driving ordinance, said Marietta spokeswoman Lindsey Wiles. The law becomes active April 1 so the city can see what state legislators do with their efforts for such a move.
This comes about six weeks after Smyrna Councilman Derek Norton brought forward a similar law in the south Cobb city as a way to curb road deaths. His mirrored the efforts by those in the House Study Committee on Distracted Driving to figure out what needs to change to stop the rise of traffic deaths statewide.
You can read about the Austin ordinance that was the basis of the Smyrna law here.
The legislative committee — chaired by State Rep. John Carson, R-Marietta — began wanting to recommend a hands-free driving law, knowing that such legislative efforts have failed in the past.
Current Georgia law bars drivers under 18 with a learner’s permit from using wireless devices while driving and prohibits adults from texting while driving.
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But the Marietta law isn’t just about texting; drivers are only allowed one touch, for things like answering a call or starting GPS instructions.
Violators can be fined up to $150.
And the ordinance lasts for two year "for addressing a special condition and public emergency," the law said.
You can read the Marietta ordinance below:
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