Is There a Texting While Driving Law in Tennessee?

Tennessee Law Prohibits Sending Messages While Driving

Tennessee passed its current distracted driving law in 2009. Currently, all drivers are prohibited from text messaging while driving. Additionally, all bus drivers and drivers with learner’s permits and intermediate licenses are prohibited from using cell phones in any capacity while driving, including with hands-free headsets and onboard hands-free software.

Tennessee’s law only prohibits drivers from text messaging while their vehicles are in motion, not when they are stopped at red lights and stop signs. In many other states, drivers may not text message at all in vehicles that are not parked. The only exceptions to Tennessee’s text messaging law are police officers and other emergency personnel who use text messages to communicate while on the job. Additionally, drivers who use text messages to communicate with emergency personnel about legitimate emergencies are also exempt from this law and its penalties, which are a fine of up to $60, points on the offender’s driver’s license, and for first-time offenders, a mandatory driver education course.

The Dangers of Texting While Driving

Text messaging while driving is illegal because it is dangerous. Text messaging takes a driver’s eyes off the road, his or her hands off the steering wheel, and his or her mind off the task of safely operating the vehicle. At 55 miles per hour, taking one’s eyes off the road for five seconds to read and respond to a text message is the same as driving the length of a football field with one’s eyes closed.

In 2015, 3,477 people died and 391,000 were injured in collisions involving distracted drivers. Text messaging is not the only distraction drivers face. Other distractions include social media, speaking on the phone, adjusting the vehicle’s radio or onboard system, and using a GPS.

Supporting your Personal Injury Claim

When you file a personal injury claim to seek compensation for your car accident damages, you must use evidence to support your claim that the accident was caused by another party’s negligence. You can show that the other driver involved in your collision was text messaging by having your lawyer obtain records from the driver’s cell phone provider that show his or her phone activity at the time of the collision. If any witnesses saw him or her texting when the collision occurred, their testimonies can also be useful pieces of evidence to support your claim.

You will also need evidence that shows the extent of your financial damages, like copies of your medical bills and documentation of your lost wages.

Work with an Experienced Nashville Car Accident Lawyer

When you are facing financial damages because of an injury you sustained in a collision with a texting driver, you can pursue monetary compensation for those damages through a personal injury claim with help from an experienced personal injury lawyer. To start working with a member of our team at Bednarz & Bednarz, contact our office today to set up your initial legal consultation with us.