Gov. Nathan Deal signs distracted driving bill into law

[Hortensis]

6. Yes to using GPS and radio with hands. Yes to using hands to report an accident,

medical emergency, or hazardous road condition. Yes to while lawfully parked (not stopped as at lights).

No to use of prohibited devices with any part of the body, so no loophole for texting with toes, and also no to moving from normal driving position, so no leaning over to pick the phone up from the floor.

Sounds sensible. Penalty for first offense only $50, don't know about second. But tougher penalties were stripped to get it passed.

WORKER EFFECT: We're rural now, retired and semiretired, so I didn't really clue to the fact that these days many of the people making long commutes to and from workplaces are working intensively as they drive via their phones. I imagine most are not paid for their additional productivity that technology has made possible to get out of them. Lessened worker productivity while commuting was an argument against passage. Having hands-free technology is obviously going to become a requirement for many jobs. I'm guessing the insurers of many companies already require it for some of the drivers they cover.