Lawmakers discuss bringing “hands-free law” to South Carolina

20 other states, including Georgia, have passed similar bills into law

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) —A South Carolina Senate subcommittee is discussing a bill that would establish punishments if someone is caught using their cell phone while driving.

Senate Bill 723 would build upon the state’s current texting and driving law (passed in 2017), increasing fines if someone is seen using their cell phone, even while at a stop sign.

With South Carolina leading the nation in traffic fatalities in 2017, some say this bill would help save more lives, and prevent incidents from occurring. 

Less than a week after one of his deputies was hit by a distracted driver, Kershaw County Sheriff Lee Boan says the time is now for lawmakers to make sure a similar incident doesn’t happen again.           

“She could have been sitting on a unicorn juggling panda bears, but if somebody’s not looking at her, they’re not going to see that. We need something that we can enforce, something that’s got more teeth to it that going down the road, a law like this, if we see them with any kind of device in their hand, we know they’re violating it,” Sheriff Boan said.

Currently in South Carolina, a person could be fined $25 if they are caught texting while driving.

If this bill is signed into law, a person could face a $100 fine if they are caught with their phone in their hand while driving. Any subsequent violations would bring a $300 fine and two points off their license.

Senator Tom Young (R-Aiken County) says the bill is modeled after one signed into law in Georgia, saying you could see the success of a hands-free law right across the border.

“Georgia’s distraction rate is down 12% after the new law. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in Georgia has found fatalities are down 7 percent within 9 months of when the bill was signed into law in June 2018,” Sen. Young said.

If this bill passes, South Carolina would join 20 other states in having a hands-free law on the books, and some say this will play a big role in reducing traffic fatalities across the state.

“Legislation like this will make a difference in this state. It will help us drive down these fatality numbers, coupled with education, awareness, and certainly enforcement. I believe all those elements working together can make a difference for us in our state,” said Christy Hall, the Secretary of the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, more than 33,000 accidents have occurred, and more 100 people have been killed in South Carolina as a result of accidents caused by distraction or inattention, cell phone use while driving, or texting since 2018.

Senator Wes Climer (R-York County), who chairs the Senate Transportation Subcommittee discussing the bill, said there would not be a vote after hearing testimony Tuesday.

The Senate Transportation Subcommittee will vote on the bill at their next meeting, which will determine if it will go to the full committee and possibly the Senate floor.