While drivers are being warned constantly not to text while behind the wheel and legislators are trying to ban texting on the roads, the National Safety Council has an annual injury paper that reports only 5% of cell phone accidents occur because of texting. While 26% of drivers involved in accidents were using their cell phones, that leaves 21% who were using a hands-free device or talking but not texting.
The Highway Loss Data Institute recently compared collision claims for states with banned handheld cell use both before and after the bans went into effect. The research states that the rates of car collisions didn’t decrease after the ban went into effect. The spokesman for the study, Russ Rader, believes that the data shows that the issue is really about distracted driving. He believes it’s the distraction, not the cell phone itself, which causes collisions.
Instead of focusing on cell phones as the cause of crashes and collision injuries and fatalities, the government is educating the public on the ways distracted driving is a problem. The website Distraction.gov says that distracted driving takes a person’s attention from the road. It endangers drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Distracted driving can be texting or cell phone usage, but it can also be talking to passengers, using the navigation system or adjusting the radio. While many people like to believe that it’s safer to use a hands free cell phone while driving, studies like those from the Highway Loss Data Institute show that it’s distracted driving that is an issue. Talking on the phone, whether it’s hand held or hands free, is a distraction.
In Tennessee, there is no state law regarding cell phone usage while driving, but there is a texting ban in effect. Drivers with learner’s permits are not allowed to use their cell phone while driving, and school bus drivers are prohibited from talking on their cell phone while driving. Currently, Senate Bill 443 would require the fine for texting while driving to be raised from $50 to $250. If this bill goes into effect, anyone pulled over for texting while driving can face stiffer penalties.
The current texting law requires drivers who are caught texting to pay $50 in fines as well as court costs that cannot exceed $10. The drivers on the road who are texting while driving with their permit can be fined up to $100. These are considered primary laws in Tennessee, which means that an officer can pull you over without having witnessed any other violation. If the officer sees you texting while driving, you can be pulled over and be issued a citation.
Whether you believe that cell phone usage is a problem and contributes to accidents or not, it’s a fact that it’s considered distracted driving. Distracted drivers contribute to 26 percent of the car accidents reported each year in the United States. If you’re seen by the police texting in Tennessee, you will be fined $50 for each offense. Right now, there’s no legislation regarding cell phone usage with handheld devices.
