Lawmaker seeks fix for cell phone mount hangup

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Last summer, drivers all over the state rushed to buy devices to help them comply with Georgia's new hands-free driving law, but many of them inadvertently broke another state statute.

It is illegal under current Georgia code to attach anything to your windshield, meaning mounts for GPS and cell phones are illegal.

"This is a problem," said State Representative Timothy Barr, R-Lawrenceville.  "We've asked people not to do something and then sort of forced them into doing something else that's illegal." 

Rep. Barr said he discovered just how widespread the problem might be when he tried to purchase a phone mount for his own vehicle.

"In my specific case, I drive a pickup truck and it became difficult to find something," he explained.

Wednesday, Barr filed House Bill 171 to address the problem.  The legislation would allow drivers to use windshield-mounted devices as long as they do not obstruct too much of their view of the roadway.

"It's a little confusing I think, so I'm glad that they're going back and doing that to make it clear," said driver Hannah Williams.

Barr believes the safety benefits of hands-free driving outweigh the risks.