Williamson County authorities crack down on distracted driving
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving killed more than 3,300 people across the U.S. in 2022. In the Volunteer State, Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) said a crash is caused by a distracted driver every 30 minutes.
With that in mind, authorities in Williamson County hit the roads hard last week, reminding people that using a cell phone for talking or texting is against the law.
The Tennessee Highway Safety Office set up a website about the Hands Free Law, which makes it illegal for someone to do the following while operating a motor vehicle:
Hold a cellphone or mobile device with any part of their body
Write, send, or read any text-based communication
Reach for a cellphone or mobile device in a manner that requires the driver to no longer be in a seated driving position or properly restrained by a seat belt
Watch a video or movie on a cellphone or mobile device
Record or broadcast video on a cellphone or mobile device
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On Tuesday, June 18, in collaboration with THP and the Franklin Police Department, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office said it conducted a joint operation targeting distracted driving, speeding, and aggressive driving along the Interstate 65 corridor.
News 2 obtained body camera footage and radio recordings from the operation.
“I’m Deputy Soto of the sheriff’s office. The reason I stopped [you is because] you’re all over the road and I pulled up next to you because you’re on your phone,” a deputy said to a driver in one traffic stop.
“The reason I stopped you [is] I saw your phone in your hand as you were driving. Just so you know, in Tennessee, you cannot have your phone in your hand at all,” another deputy said to a different motorist.
During the operation, Sheriff Jeff Hughes said authorities made 118 traffic stops in four hours. The stops included speeding and seat belt violations, as well as one minor drug arrest.
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However, the majority of the stops — more specifically, 79 out of 118 — were for violations of the Hands Free Law.
For example, a deputy stopped one driver after noticing her phone in her hands.
“Please stay off that phone [while] driving,” the deputy told the woman.
“Alright, I will,” she replied.
Minutes later, the same woman was stopped again for the same violation.
Deputy: “So, we just wrote you for texting, right?”
Woman: “Yeah.”
Deputy: “You were doing it again!”
Woman: “No I’m not!”
Deputy: “So, here’s the thing: there’s a black pickup truck that has two officers in it that was driving right next to you and behind you that were watching you text.”
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“I suppose she thought that she had made it through the blitz and that she was home free after she got beyond us and went right back to what she was doing, but again, I think that lends to the prevalence of this type of violation, and the fact that people take it so lightly when, in fact, we know it’s one of the leading causes creating and causing accidents here in Tennessee and abroad,” Hughes explained.
According to THP, in the first half of 2024, the agency has already written more than 10,000 Hands Free Law violations. Williamson County Courts said the fine for a first offense for this violation is $60.
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