PEAKE: "I can remember having the though of while I've just gone 3 or 4 miles while I sent that text message, I had no idea what was going on around me. I had no idea."
Under Peake's bill, fines would range from 50 to 100 dollars. That's not good enough for Amos Amerson. The Republican from Dahlonega says the maximum fine under his texting while driving bill is 300 dollars. Amerson was inspired by his old teaching friend. That person's grandson died in a serious car accident while driving to Athens this past Christmas holiday.
AMERSON: "He had made six texting messages from the time he left North Georgia to the time he got to Athens. And they concluded he was in the process of texting at the time of his death."
Amerson and Peake say the differences in their bills will be ironed out in committee. That's also where other issues could arise according to law enforcement
officials.
They say the legislature will have to determine how the law will be enforced. Officials wonder if lawmakers would place "texting while driving" under the primary or secondary enforcement category.
If made primary, an officer could pull you over if he or she saw you texting while driving. If made secondary, an officer could pull you over for a traffic violation, for example. If that officer finds evidence that you were also texting while driving, the officer could also write you a ticket for that offense.
Law enforcement official hope texting while driving will fall under primary enforcement in Georgia.
If it doesn't, some officers and lawmakers hope a law would at least scare drivers from texting behind the wheel.
PEAKE: "What I'm hoping is that this will be a deterrent to all of Georgia's citizens to put that cell phone. Don't text. Let's make sure we're safe while we're driving."
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