CLARKSVILLE, TN – Earlier this month, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Traffic Safety Task Force partnered with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) to conduct a Distracted-Driving Operation Hands-Free bus tour in Clarksville-Montgomery County.
Bus transportation was provided by Montgomery County Emergency Medical Services (MCEMS) for members of the Task Force to use while Tennessee State Troopers, Clarksville Police, and Montgomery County Deputies patrolled nearby.
As those riding the bus traveled throughout the County, they assisted law enforcement in looking for hands-free violations, seatbelt violations, and other road hazards to help limit traffic incidents and crashes.
Stats from the bus tour resulted in 55 hands-free citations given that included 10 seatbelt violations, two speeding citations, and 43 other citations for distracted driving-related violations.
“We conduct this bus tour annually during the month of April to create awareness and help drivers understand the importance of staying focused on the road. Distracted driving is the number one cause of crashes in Montgomery County. It costs lives, hospitalizations, disabilities, property damage and increased insurance rates for all residents in the community,” said Montgomery County Drivers Safety Administrator Lisa McClain.
In recognition of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the THSO collaborated with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GHSO), the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), the American Automobile Association (AAA), and traffic safety members across Tennessee for Operation Hands-Free. The campaign in Tennessee kicked off with four press events in early April with distracted-driving bus tours in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville.
The purpose of “Operation Hands-Free” is to reduce distracted-driving crashes and fatalities by increasing enforcement efforts and educating citizens about Tennessee’s Hands-Free law.
“We don’t issue citations lightly. Selective traffic enforcement targets a specific pattern. We want people to pay attention to the road, for their safety and the safety of others. No one plans on getting into a motor vehicle crash. They may have been driving while distracted for years and nothing has happened, but that doesn’t mean it won’t. Our first responders have been to some horrific crash scenes that have changed people’s lives, and the lives of those who love them. The bottom line is that many crashes are avoidable and preventable, but we have to change the behaviors which contribute to them, we want all of the people in our community to drive safely,” said Lt. Vincent Lewis, CPD Traffic Unit Supervisor.
Learn more about Tennessee’s Hands-free law at: www.HandsFreeTN.com
To access distracted driving crash data provided by Tennessee’s Integrated Traffic Analysis Network (TITAN): www.tn.gov/safety/stats/dashboards/distracted-driver.html
