Georgia has taken the country one step closer to a nationwide ban on texting while driving; Gov. Sonny Perdue signed an anti-texting-while-driving bill into law last week.


The new Georgia primary law, effective July 1, prohibits drivers of all ages from texting while driving. Young drivers with provisional licenses are banned from talking on cell phones, as well as texting while behind the wheel. Violators can face a penalty of $150 and one point against their driver's license.

The law, called the Caleb Sorohan Act for Saving Lives by Preventing Texting While Driving, is in memory of Caleb Sorohan, an 18-year-old high school student who died in a car accident when he lost control of his vehicle while texting.

"Motorists traveling on Georgia's roads will be safer as a result of this new law," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Distracted driving is a hazardous and deadly practice that needs to end. It's time for Americans to follow Georgia's lead and just put their devices down."

The DOT has already banned commercial truck and bus drivers from texting while driving.