Beginning July

1, several new traffic laws will go into effect on Georgia's roadways.

The blood alcohol

content constituting a DUI will be lowered from .10 to .08 and penalties

have been created for aggressive drivers in House Bill 385. Aggressive

drivers will be penalized six points on their driver's license for "operating

any motor vehicle with the intent to annoy, harass, molest, intimidate,

injure or obstruct another person."

According to

the bill, aggressive drivers can be cited with misdemeanors "of a

high and aggravated nature" using particular traffic violations including:

Following

too closely to another vehicle;

Driving too

slowly to impede traffic;

Failing to

use a turn signal or otherwise making an improper turn;

Reckless driving;

Failure to

maintain lane;

Operating

a motorcycle between lanes of traffic.

The six-point

penalty on the driver's license would count towards the maximum 15 points

that can be accrued in a 24-month period before that person's license

is suspended.

House Bill

385 also adds penalties for repeat DUI offenders and prohibits open containers

of alcohol in the passenger areas of motor vehicles. The lowering of the

blood alcohol limit to .08 was largely due to a requirement from Federal

transportation officials who could have withheld highway funding if the

change wasn't made.

Also, Georgia

motorists will be required to use either a child safety seat or a booster

seat for all passengers ages 4 or younger thanks to House Bill 248. The

bill specifically requires the use of "a child passenger restraining

system approved by the United States Department of Transportation."

"All children

under four years old and under 80 pounds should be placed in a convertible

seat or booster seat," said Yvonne L. McBride, director of the Governor's

Office of Highway Safety. "This will prevent internal injuries or

ejection from the vehicle as a result of seat belts that do not properly

restrain small children."

An exemption

in the law, however, allows a child's parent or guardian to obtain a written

statement from a physician indicating a medical or physical condition

that prevents a child from being placed in the required child passenger

restraining system.

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