On Tuesday, April 1, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), divisions of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, are partnering with Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), local law enforcement, and other traffic safety partners for “Operation Hands Free” to crack down on violators of Tennessee’s Hands-Free Law during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. To kick off the campaign, the THSO will host press events in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville on April 1 at 10 a.m. (local time) immediately followed by enforcement bus tours. See below for event details to attend and ride along.
According to Tennessee’s Hands-Free Law (T.C.A. § 55-8-199), it is illegal for drivers to hold a cell phone or mobile device with any part of their body. Violation of this law can result in points on your driving record. Drivers can learn more at www.HandsFreeTN.com. See here to access distracted-driving crash data provided by Tennessee’s Integrated Traffic Analysis Network (TITAN): https://www.tn.gov/safety/stats/dashboards/distracted-driver.html.