Texting while Driving Illegal
Driver Distractions Can Prove Fatal- A brief look at handheld communication devices and the law in Tennessee
It shouldn’t take a Tennessee automobile accident lawyer to tell most thinking people that driver distractions can prove fatal. Have you ever been driving along and you look over at the driver next to you and see that he is reading a newspaper or book? How often have you been following a car down the road and observe that the vehicle is swerving back and forth across the lane, or slowing down to a crawl, only to find that the driver has a cell phone stuck in their ear while the chat away without paying attention to what it is they are doing behind the wheel of a three thousand pound deadly weapon? Along with handheld technology advances these distractions have become an everyday affair for law-abiding drivers.
As a Tennessee automobile accident lawyer it is my responsibility to advise my clients of the pertinent Tennessee vehicle laws relating to these devices. Tennessee has several specific laws dealing with cell-phone use while driving. The first law prohibits drivers with a learner’s permit or an intermediate license from using a mobile telephone while operating a motor vehicle. If a driver with a permit or intermediate license is caught driving while using a cell-phone they will be fined $100 and may receive delayed eligibility for their next license type. This law does not permit the use of a hands-free device. The other law prohibits the driver of a school bus from using a cell-phone while the bus is in motion and transporting children.
The newest legislation relates to text messaging. Beginning July 1st, 2009 text messaging is banned for all drivers. “Using a hand held mobile telephone or a hand held personal digital assistant to transmit or read a written message while such vehicle is in motion”. Deaths due to texting while driving have already occurred in other states, let’s try to avoid having fatal car wrecks in Tennessee due to texting.
We remind you that when you get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle you are responsible for your own life, your passengers and all of the other drivers that you encounter. That is a big responsibility and we hope you take it seriously.
Phillip Miller is a Tennessee Accident Attorney specializing in
Phillip has an AVVO rating of 10.0 (Superb), has been designated as a “Superlawyer”, and is the President Elect of the Tennessee Association for Justice.
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