For those of you are like me and only get your news from ESPN (I’m exaggerating…a bit), you might have missed this story. As of July 1, 2009, it is against the law to text while driving in the state of Tennessee. Here’s the full story from Knox News:
NASHVILLE – Rachel Nichol says reading or sending cell phone text messages while driving isn’t such a good idea – she’s had five fender benders, including one in a fast-food drive-thru.
“I was texting and I rear-ended someone each time,” said Nichol, a 20-year-old Nashville bartender. “You’re not looking at the road. You’re only using one hand to drive and it’s really dangerous.”
That’s why she supports a law prohibiting the behavior. It’s among new Tennessee laws that take effect today.
Violators of the texting prohibition would be fined $50, but the action would be considered a nonmoving traffic violation, meaning no points would be added to a person’s driving record.
It also exempts certain officials – such as officers of the state, campus police officers and emergency medical technicians – when performing their duties.
Opponents argued that law enforcement may not be able to tell whether drivers are texting or dialing and that texting is already covered under the state’s distracted driving law.
Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper agreed with that in an opinion he issued earlier this year when he said officers can currently cite a driver “whenever unsafe operation is caused by cell phone use, text messaging, applying cosmetics or any other activity that prevents the driver from operating the vehicle in a safe manner.”
But Maggi McLean Duncan, executive director of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, said the group believes the new law is still necessary.
“They felt the proposed legislation which is now becoming law clarified it very succinctly not only for law enforcement, but for the judicial branch, as well as for citizens,” she said.
Safety Department spokesman Mike Browning said the new law “does create a challenge to law enforcement in distinguishing between texting and dialing on a mobile phone, since the statute does not require that all communications be performed with a hands-free device.”
However, he said the Tennessee Highway Patrol will enforce the law “to help promote public safety.”
“Motorists should be aware that texting while driving is a dangerous behavior that can result in an injury crash or even death to the driver or other motorists,” Browning said.
July 2nd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Sidenote: Can you actually be a bartender at 20?
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I have to admit that I’ve done it before. It really should be illegal. Phones really should be illegal also. Handsfree included. It’s just too hard to carry a conversation and be a good driver at the same time. I’m guilty of that also.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:09 pm
We’ve had this law in California for some time now and it’s really an at-fault determination law. The police reports filed for accidents even have a section to check off whether the person was using a phone at the time of the accident and how it was used.
July 6th, 2009 at 8:46 am
We should also ban other distractions from vehicles that may cause an accident such as passengers (esp. small children), radio, CD players, ipods, food and drinks, pets, and the list goes on and on and on
I know many are celebrating this as a victory, but my libertarian side is nervous. As long as there are people driving, there will be accidents and banning things will not stop this. This looks like a slippery slope of the government saving us from ourselves
July 6th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Jeremy I would say I’m libertarian in many ways also. Driving isn’t a right. It’s a privilege. Many things can cause distractions in cars, but cell phones have been a major cause of distraction since becoming mainstream.
July 6th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I’m with Jeremy! Totally agree!
July 6th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Jeremy and Stephanie I have a question. Why can’t you wait till you get to a stop light or to your destination? Do you also think DUI laws should be repealed? Studies have shown that texting and talking on a cell phone are just as bad of an impairment as being above the legal limit.
July 7th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Josh, I understand what you are saying and I do believe being intoxicated is a problem and esp. being intoxicated while driving is a huge problem. Rather than the government stepping in an controling people’s lives, I would rather people exercise personal responsibility.
I just don’t understand how people can thrash and hate on the government calling them corrupt, wicked, greedy, immoral, selfish, etc. etc. etc. and then turn around and give them more and more control and say into our lives. Thats ridiculous.
We celebrate when they ban texting in cars or smoking in public buildings because those I things we don’t “like” or don’t effect us, but just wait til they ban something you are attached to (like Bibles, etc.) and if you think I’m being extreme, you are a little too naive