The

most prominent change will be a change in the

punishment for violating Georgia's child

restraint safety law.

Georgia

Public Safety commissioner and State Patrol

commander Col. Bob Hightower said points for

child safety restraint violations will be added

to the violator's driving record beginning July

1. In addition to the $50 fine for the first

offense and $100 for the second and subsequent

offenses, the new law adds one point to the

driver's record for first offense and two points

for second and subsequent offenses.

driver's license is suspended in Georgia when the

driver accumulates 15 points within a 24-month

period.

"The

message is clear that children must not ride

unrestrained," Hightower said. "All too

often law enforcement officers find children

riding unrestrained or improperly

restrained."

Another

new law requires an amber strobe light affixed to

the rear of a vehicle that is transporting logs,

pulpwood, poles or posts that extend more than

four feet beyond the rear of the body or bed. The

new law requires the strobe to be operating at

all times the vehicle is on the roadway or parked

on the shoulder or immediately next to the

traveled portion of any public roadway.

Other

traffic-related measures that were approved and

have already taken effect include a bill that

allows laser speed detection devices to be

admissable in court, a change in the DUI law,

clarification on the "steer it and clear

it" law, and clarification of the law used

to determine if an agency is running a

"speed trap."

Senate

Bill 231 was effective March 25, and provides

that laser is scientifically reliable as a speed

detection device. The measure provides that

evidence of speed based upon laser shall be

admissable in judicial, court or administrative

proceedings.

"Heidi's

Law" became effective May 1 and prohibits a

limited permit for DUI offenders if the person

has been convicted of driving under the influence

within the last five years. The measure also

requires courts to order ignition interlock

devices for a second DUI conviction for which

probation is granted and also requires

publication of notice of a person's second or

subsequent DUI within five years.

Georgia's

"steer it and clear it" law was

clarified during the session and was effective

April 28. The new language provides that only

crashes with no apparent serious injury are

required to be removed from the roadway.

Another

provision of the bill puts into Georgia law the

duty of drivers approaching or entering an

intersection where a traffic light is

inoperative. "The new law requires each

driver at an inoperative traffic light to stop

and treat the intersection as a four-way

stop." Hightower said "This law does

not affect intersections where a traffic light

may be flashing. A flashing red light still means

stop and a flashing amber light means to use

caution as you proceed through the

intersection," he said.

House

Bill 289 was effective May 3 and creates a

presumption that a city, county or university law

enforcement agency is using speed detection

devices for improper purposes if fines for

speeding, based on the devices are 40 percent or

more of the agency's budget. Fines levied for

speeding in excess of 17 miles per hour or more

over the speed limit are not considered in

calculating the percentage.

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