Texting While Driving Bills In Georgia Legislature

ATLANTA - "He loved life," says Caleb Sorohan's grandmother, "He had a very infectious smile, lots of friends and it was just a tragic loss for all of us."

Sallie Sorohan of Dahlonega has turned grief over the death of her 18-year-old grandson into a crusade to save others.

Nine days before Christmas, the college freshman's car crossed the centerline of a rural Morgan County road while he was texting.

"He apparently was busy with his hands not on the wheel and ran into a truck that was transporting six or seven horses and was killed instantly," his grandmother tells 11 Alive News.

Georgia State Troopers found Caleb's cell phone in his lap, showing that he'd sent or received six text messages in the last seven minutes of his life.

"His grandmother asked me to introduce this particular bill," says State Representative Amos Amerson.

The Dahlonega lawmaker has now been joined by fellow Republican Representative Allen Peake of Macon who believe it's become a dangerous crisis on our roads.

"It's an extreme hazard," Rep. Peake tells 11 Alive News, "and empirical studies have shown that while you're texting while driving it's more dangerous and you're more distracted than even while you're drunk."

The lawmakers' bills propose fines of anywhere from $100 to $300, primarily to get everyone's attention.

They know it'll be tough to enforce, but Caleb's grandmother thinks it's worth doing.

"We don't want any other parents or friends or family to have to go through the agony that we have been through with this untimely death of such a wonderful young man," she adds.

Just this week, a study by the National Safety Council estimated that 28% of traffic accidents occur while drivers are talking on cell phones or texting.

If the bills about to be introduced in this year's General Assembly pass, Georgia would become the 20th state to outlaw driving while texting.

In addition to pushing for the law, Caleb Sorohan's family has set up a scholarship fund for students at Morgan County High School.


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