Page 11 - Georgia Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program Student Manual 2020

2CHAPTER : TRAFFIC LAWS AND SAFE DRIVING

stop in a position that allows you to see the back headphones, a wireless device, phone holder or ?DID YOU
tires of the car in front you. mounted device. Penalties are fines and points
added to your driving record that increase for KNOW
Tire Pressure each conviction.
Prior to entering vehicle check tire pressure FACT:
Penalties include:
using recommended psi located in the door jam • 1st conviction — 1 point and fine not more According to the National Hightway Traffic
of the vehicle. Use a tire pressure gauge to check Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belt use
your psi. If your psi is above the number listed than $50.00 in passenger vehicles saved approximately
on your door jam, let air out until it matches. If • 2nd conviction — 2 points and fine not more 14,955 lives in 2017 and the national use rate
below, add air (or have a retailer help you) until increased to 89.6% in 2018.
it reaches the proper number. than $100.00
• 3rd or more convictions — 3 points and fine FACT:
You may also measure tread depth using the
penny test. Once every month, or before you not more than $150.00 In 2017, 60 percent of the distracted drivers in
embark upon a long road trip, check your tires fatal crashes were male.
for wear and damage problems. One easy way Take the Pledge
to check for wear is by using the penny test. Teens can commit to distraction-free driving FACT:
1. Take a penny and hold Abraham Lincoln’s
by taking the pledge to: Georgia has a zero tolerance for underage
body between your thumb and forefinger. • Protect lives by never texting or talking on drunk driving.
2. Select a point on your tire where the tread
the phone while driving. FACT:
appears the lowest and place Lincoln’s head • Be a good passenger and speak out if the
into one of the grooves. According to the CDC, in the United States
3. If any part of Lincoln’s head is covered by the driver is distracted. there are approximately nine people killed
tread, you’re driving with the legal and safe • Encourage friends and family to drive dis- and more than 1,000 injured daily in crashes
amount of tread. If your tread gets below that involving a distracted driver.
(approximately 2/32 of an inch), your car’s traction-free.
ability to grip the road in adverse conditions The Parent/Teen Driving Agreement avail- FACT:
is greatly reduced. able in this manual can be used to take a pledge
against distracted driving. The fatal crash rate of teenage drivers 16-
Texting and Cell Phone 19 years of age is about four times as high
Use While Driving Scan this QR at night.
code with your
Distracted Driving mobile device
Distracted driving is one of the fastest grow- to view the
video online.
ing safety issues. According to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHT-
SA), 3,166 people were killed on U.S. roadways in
2017 because of distracted drivers. There were
229 teens between the ages of 15 to 19 killed in
distraction affected crashes in 2017. Distracted
driving is doing another activity while driving.
This takes the driver’s attention away from the
primary task of driving and increases the risk of
crashing. Common distractions include but are
not limited to talking on a cell phone, texting,
reading, eating, grooming, using a navigation
device, and adjusting the stereo system. The
presence of a passengers and pets can also in-
crease crash risk. Georgia law requires drivers
to exercise due care in operating a motor vehicle
and prohibits any action that distracts the driver
from the safe operation of such vehicle.

Texting and Driving
Georgia has a new Hands Free Law (HB 673)

that mandates that drivers (any age, any license
type) are not allowed to hold or support a phone
for any reason. A phone can only be used with

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