Page 25 - Georgia Department of Driver Services Drivers Manual
P. 25

Use Headlights Properly           •  Do not drive if you are tired. More frequent


                                                                                              a “primary” safety belt
          Use high-beam headlights only when driv-  stops, more fresh air, lively radio programs   injury. Georgia has
                                                                                 meaning that officers may stop and cite
        ing in rural areas and when other cars are not   and other measures can help you to avoid   law,
        nearby. You must use your headlights between   drowsiness and inattention;   violators without observing another violation.
        one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour be-  •  Watch carefully for highway signs; they are
        fore sunrise; at any time when it is raining; or   harder to see at night;  Safety Restraints for Children
        when visibility is limited.
          You should dim (lower) your headlights  •  Watch carefully for pedestrians and for ve-  Every  driver  transporting  a  child  who  is


                                                                                            of age, except in a taxicab
        when:                               hicles stopped along the edge of the road;  under eight years
                                                                             or public transit vehicle, must properly re-



        •  You are within 500 feet of an approaching   •  Do not stop on the roadway.  strain the child  in
                                                                                            a child passenger restrain-


          vehicle so as not to blind the driver;                             ing system appropriate for the child’s height












        •  You are following closely (within 200 feet)  Safety Belts         and weight. The restraint system must com-






          behind another vehicle;                                            ply with the United States Department of




        •  You are driving on lighted roads;  Georgia law states that each occupant in the   Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety



                                                                             Standard 213. Under limited circumstances,

                                          front seat of a passenger vehicle traveling on







        •  You are driving in rain, fog, snow, or smoke;  Georgia roads and highways must be secured     a child under eight may be exempt from this




        •  Your vision is reduced to less than 200 feet.  by a seat safety belt (lap and shoulder). All oc-  requirement. For further information, contact

                                                                             the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety




                                          cupants of any passenger vehicle must utilize   http://www.gahighwaysafety.org.
        Night   Driving                   a seat safety belt if they are under the age of 18.
                                            Safety belts are needed because they are the
                 of decreased vision at night and the
          Because                         most effective occupant protection in all types of

        glare of oncoming headlights, night driving   vehicle crashes. According to Crash Stats from   Distracted Driving




        presents its own unique challenges. Unfamiliar   the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin-  Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing
        roads and unexpected situations are more like-  istration, seat belts saved 12,802 lives in 2014.  safety   issues.   According   to   the

        ly to cause hazardous driving conditions. You   Georgia Department of Transportation reports   National  Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration
        can help ensure safe driving in several ways.   that the risk of fatality in a crash is reduced   (NHTSA),  3,142  people  were  killed  on  U.S.



        •  Make sure your headlights are working  by about 45% when seat belts are used. Using   roadways  in  2019  because of distracted drivers.
                                                                             Distracted driving is doing another activity while


          properly and the lenses are kept clean. Pe-  safety belts correctly is a preventable health   driving.  This  takes  the  driver’s attention away


          riodically have them checked for correct  care habit that:         from
                                                                                  the  primary  task  of  driving  and
          aim/alignment;                                                     increases  the  risk  of  crashing.  Common




                                          •  helps you keep control of the vehicle;  distractions
                                                                                       include but are  not  limited  to
        •  Don’t “overdrive” your headlights. When  •  helps keep your head from striking the dash   talking
                                                                                   on  a  cell  phone,  texting,  reading,
          traveling  at  night  or  in  other  situations                    eating, grooming, using a navi-gation device, and
          that make the use of headlights necessary   or windshield;         adjusting the stereo system. The presence of






          for safe travel, do not drive at a speed that   •  helps keep people in the vehicle from hitting   a  passengers and pets can also increase crash






          requires a stopping time greater than the  each                    risk. Georgia law requires driv-ers to exercise due
                                                other;
                                                                                            a motor vehicle and prohibits

          distance illuminated by your headlights;  •  helps spread the crash force across the stron-  care in operating






        •  Slow down when oncoming traffic is ap-  ger parts of the body;    any action that distracts the driver from the
                                                                             safe operation of such vehicle.
          proaching or when you are nearing a curve;  •  helps protect you from injury;
        •  If visibility is greatly reduced, use the edge                    Following Emergency Vehicles
          line as a guide to maintaining your lane of   •  helps keep you from being ejected from the   The  driver  of  any  vehicle,  other  than  one  on
          travel. If there is no edge line, use the center   vehicle.        official business, must not follow any fire fighting
          line to guide yourself;           When used correctly,     b       apparatus traveling in response to a fire alarm, or
                                                           safety elts are effective
                                                                             other emergency vehicles, closer than 200 feet, or
        •  Keep your windshield clean;    at helping reduce the risk of death or serious     park  any  vehicle  within  500  feet  of  any  fire
                                                                             apparatus stopped in answer to a fire alarm
         GEORGIA'S LITTER CONTROL LAW
         Each  year,  municipal,  county  and  state  government  agencies  spend   Whenever litter is thrown, deposited, or dropped from any motor
         thousands of doll                                  vehicle,  the  operator  of  the  vehicle  shall  have  violated  the  Litter
                      ars to clean up litter from the streets and highways
         of Georgia. Individuals who litter cause harm to the beauty of the state   Control Law. All Georgia law enforcement agencies are authorized to
         and impact the health, welfare and safety of others.   enforce compliance of the Litter Control Law.
                                                                     Litter Control Law classifies littering as damage to property.
           It  is  unlawful  to  dump,  deposit,  throw  or  leave  litter  on  any   Georgia’s
                                 State of Georgia, or any waters in the
         public or private property in the                  A conviction under this law
                                                                                is considered a misdemeanor in Georgia.
         State of Georgia.                                  Persons  convicted  of  this  law  may  be  assessed  a  fine  up  to  $1000
                                                                                                 littering, a judge
         • “Litter” means all sand, gravel, slag, brick bats, rubbish, waste   and a 12 month jail term. In addition, if convicted of
           material, tin cans, refuse, garbage, trash, dead animals or   could order the convicted person to pick up and remove litter from
           discarded materials of every kind and description;  any designated area.
         • “Public or private property” means the right-of-way of any road
           or highway, any body of water or watercourse of the shores or
           beaches thereof, any park, playground, building refuge
           or conservation or recreation area and residential or farm
                    timberlands or forest.
           properties,
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