31 Days to Hand's Free Georgia

31 Day Countdown Begins to Hand's Free

May 30, 2018

TextLess Live More Recognizes New Georgia Distracted Driving Law

TextLess Live More celebrates and recognizes Georgia's new distracted driving law, House Bill 678, which goes into effect in 31 days on July 1, 2018. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed the house bill into law on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at a ceremony in Statesboro, Georgia, surrounded by families who have suffered loss due to distracted driving, including the parents of the five nursing students killed in a 2015 crash with a tractor-trailer on Georgia's I-16. The truck driver pleaded guilty to texting prior to the tragic accident.

"TextLess Live More along with our partner SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) will do everything in our power to spread the word about Georgia's new, important anti-distracted driving law to young people and drivers of all ages," says Richard Levitan, President and Executive Director of TextLess Live More.

The law known as the "Hand's-Free Georgia Act" prohibits Georgia drivers from physically holding a phone, iPad, Kindle or similar device to text messages, record, broadcast or watch a video on their mobile devices while driving, including while at a red light or stop sign. "We live everyday with the pain and real consequences of distracted driving," adds Levitan. "We lost our beautiful 18 year old daughter to a young driver who was texting-behind-the-wheel on July 3, 2013, almost five years ago from the day this important law goes into effect." Merritt Levitan, a recent high school graduate, was struck by a distracted driver on July 2, 2013 near McCrory, Arkansas. Merritt suffered traumatic brain injuries and died the next day on July 3, 2013 in a Memphis hospital. TextLess Live More, a peer-to-peer national awareness campaign to end distracted driving, was founded by Merritt's high school friends in her honor.

"It is TextLess Live More and SADD's collective mission to end distracted driving, save lives and prevent any more accidents due to distraction behind-the-wheel. We celebrate the Georgia Legislature and Governor Deal for this important law and doing their part to make driving safe in Georgia. Let the 31 day Countdown to safe driving begin!" - Richard Levitan

TextLess Live More, a national awareness campaign to end distracted driving and save lives, offers a TextLess Live More Toolkit geared for middle, high school, college students, teachers and administrators and provides guidelines and ideas on how to start TextLess Live More at school or within a community. TextLess Live More in partnership with SADD has been presented to students and schools around the United States, including schools in Georgia

, Massachusetts

and Vermont

.

Click here to download the TextLess Live More Toolkit.

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