Enforcement of Georgia’s new law banning texting while driving will be a new challenge for police officers statewide.

The new law goes into effect July 1st. All drivers will be banned from texting, with young drivers prohibited from any cell phone use while behind the wheel.

Before he signed the bill, Governor Sonny Perdue expressed concern over ‘gray areas’ of enforcement—how to actually tell if someone is texting or making a call.

Gordy Wright with the Georgia State Patrol says its officers will use their best judgement in determining “texting” drivers:

“If a citation is written, being able to articulate what they have observed once they get into the courtroom that would support the citation.”

Wright says once effective on July 1st, its officers will give warnings to violators, over the course of a 30 to 60-day grace period.

Wright hopes most drivers will simply drop the practice of texting immediately—making questions of enforcement moot.

Tags: Georgia, Governor Sonny Perdue, texting, Georgia State Patrol, drivers, Georgia laws