TENNESSEE HIGHWAY SAFETY OFFICE STARTS OPERATION HANDS-FREE
Every 23 minutes and 45 seconds there is a distracted driver accident in Tennessee which adds up to $491 million in annual costs. One in 15 drivers involved in an accident is distracted, and nearly 40 percent of those drivers are between the ages of 20 and 34. On Monday, April 4, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) is launching “Operation Hands Free” to spread awareness about distracted driving and its consequences.
THSO is launching the Operation Hands Free in partnership with multiple agencies including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), AAA – The Auto Club Group, and local law enforcement across Tennessee.
In 2020, there were over 20,400 crashes involving a distracted driver in Tennessee. On average, that’s 55 crashes every day. A study listed Tennessee as having the highest rate of distracted driving deaths in the nation – nearly five times the national average.
Across Tennessee 2010-20 there were 236,631 distracted driver crashes. Williamson County had the most with 67,069, followed by Davidson County with 24,654; and Rutherford County with 12,744. Knox had 10,473, Williamson had 10,758; and Hamilton had 11,603.
What is the Hands-Free Law?
Tennessee Code Annotated 55-8-199 which went into effect July 1, 2019 makes it illegal for a driver to:
(b) write, send, or read any text-based communication,
(c) reach for a cellphone or mobile device in a manner that requires the driver to no longer be in a seated driving position or properly restrained by a seat belt,
(d) watch a video or movie on a cellphone or mobile device, and
(e) record or broadcast video on a cellphone or mobile device.
Violation of this law is a Class C misdemeanor. A traffic citation based on this violation is considered a moving traffic violation.
Fines for violations of the law include: $50 First-time offense; $100 Third-time offense or higher or violation results in a car crash; $200 Violation occurs in a work zone while workers are present, or violation occurs in a marked school zone while flashers are in operation.
A violation also adds 3 points to your driving record. It takes 12 points for your license to be suspended.
Reduce distracted-driving crashes and fatalities
The purpose of Operation Hands Free is to reduce distracted-driving crashes and fatalities by increasing enforcement efforts and educating citizens about the states’ hands-free laws. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will assist by utilizing digital highway message boards to spread awareness. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development will display outdoor banners at welcome centers statewide.
In 2021, the THSO received the Governor’s Highway Safety Association’s Peter K. O’Rourke Special Achievement Award for the innovative bus-tour concept for spreading news about the law, and its effectiveness in distracted-driving enforcement and awareness.
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