Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSD) and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) are teaming up to launch “Operation Hands Free” in the state for the month of April. The goal is to reduce distracted driving. Though Tennessee has had a hands free law regarding cell phones since 2019, the number of traffic accidents and fatalities continues to climb.

In 2015, 10% of vehicle fatalities were attributed to distracted driving. By 2021 that percentage had risen to 15% according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDSHS). In 2023, almost 20% of fatalities, 3,275, were caused by distracted driving. In addition, there were 324,819 injuries from distracted driving in the same year. Add to that over $10 billion in property damage for 2023, and the impact of distracted driving is easy to see. The leading cause of these accidents was due to texting and driving.

There are three types of distraction; visual distraction, or anything that takes the eyes off the road, manual distraction, such as eating, drinking, or adjusting controls, and cognitive distraction, as in intense conversation, daydreaming, or being emotionally upset. What makes cell phone usage so dangerous is that it involves all three types of distraction.

Sending or reading a text can take five seconds. At 55 miles per hour, that is like driving the entire length of a football field without looking. Distracted driving slows the reaction time by 35%. Little wonder why distracted driving results in so many accidents and fatalities. Accidents and fatalities that are totally preventable. While the 15 to 19 year old group has the highest numbers, the 20 to 34 age group is not far behind in the stats. That covers a lot of drivers. The numbers drop significantly in older groups.

No text or phone call is as important as someone’s life. If it cannot wait, pull over to take the message and respond. Safety first when driving is responsible driving. Everyone wants to make it home safely.