Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) has appointed State Rep. Doreen Carter (D-Lithonia) to the House Study Committee on Distracted Driving.
Carter will fill the position vacated by Rep. Keisha Waites, who submitted her resignation from the House of Representatives effective Sept. 18.
The 10-member study committee, created by House Resolution 282, will examine whether further changes to state law should be implemented to restrict the uses of technologies such as cell phones while driving to reduce accidents.
Statistics show that more than 220 million people in the United States subscribe to wireless services, and it is estimated that as many as 80 percent of those subscribers use their phones while driving. Highway deaths in Georgia are now at their highest level since 2007 and distracted driving may be the blame for the dramatic increase in accidents and fatality crashes, according to HR 282.
“I am looking forward to serving. I think the study committee provides an opportunity to share information, engage the community and get input on what we need to do to change driving behaviors,” said Carter. “The bottom line is safety. What you have are people who are still using cell phones while they are driving, and in some cases, hiding their phones. We have to figure out how we’re going to change this.”
The full text of HR 282 may be found at: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20172018/HR/282.
