In April 2025, traffic safety officials in Georgia remembered a tragic accident that caused the deaths of five college students in 2015. The nursing school students were driving to Savannah for the final portion of their clinical practice before graduation; they were sideswiped by a truck driver who was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to nine felony charges.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence showing that the driver was distracted by his mobile phone before the fatal collision. The tragedy strongly influenced the passing of the Hands-Free Georgia Act, which Governor Nathan Deal signed in 2018. Since the law was enacted, data scientists estimate that smartphone distraction has been reduced by up to 15%. Let’s look at how this estimate translates into road traffic safety statistics:
Distracted Driving Crash Reports
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States, 8% of fatal road traffic accidents were caused by distracted driving in 2023. The NHTSA report showed 3,275 deaths and 324,819 injuries. While data scientists acknowledge the data, they also point out that distracted driving is often underreported.
When Georgia law enforcement officers investigate road traffic accidents, they are not always able to determine if distracted driving was a factor. Prosecutors can use some technology tools to ease the burden of proof they must present in these cases; nonetheless, the law enforcement rules and procedures adopted from Section 40-5-57 of the Georgia Annotated Code are not silver bullets. There are provisions that allow drivers to dial phone numbers for voice calls, thus making it difficult for police officers to distinguish texting from dialing in some cases.
The Georgia Traffic Safety Fact Sheet for 2022 shows that distracted driving was a factor in 53% of all road traffic accidents in the Peach State. It is important to note that the Hands-Free Georgia Act contemplates more than “texting while driving;” it also prohibits browsing and social media activity.
Data Research Shows Some Improvement
The Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University is the primary source of distracted driving data and investigations. Emory researchers measuring the effects of the Hands-Free Georgia Act observed a decrease in fatal road traffic accidents from 2018 to 2019. They estimated that up to 15% of the positive trend could be attributed to distracted driving laws.
Unfortunately, the trend stopped in 2020. In 2024, researchers using computer vision to analyze video footage from road traffic cameras determined that drivers in Georgia engage in distracted driving more than in other states. In more than 23,000 observations, Emory researchers observed almost 15% of drivers distracted by their mobile devices. This explains why the Georgia Department of Driver Services reported 49,000 convictions for distracted driving offenses in 2024.
The Future of Distracted Driving Prevention and Safety
Many American insurance companies are leveraging technology to deal with distracted driving trends. Usage-based insurance (UBI) programs use mobile apps that monitor smartphone sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and GPS receivers. The apps detect distracted driving situations and incentivize their prevention through lower insurance premiums for policyholders. Some of these programs offer an immediate discount for enrolling; after a set period, drivers can take advantage of more significant performance-based discounts if their apps show that they are not engaging in distracted driving.
Modern driving practices must consider technology. To this effect, auto insurance companies urge drivers to take advantage of hands-free accessories like Bluetooth earpieces, speech-recognition apps, and controls mounted on steering wheels. Many traffic safety researchers hope more drivers will adopt smart practices involving the use of technology. Mastering the use of voice interfaces and advanced virtual assistants can go a long way in reducing the problems of distracted driving.