I am Deputy Bo Sherrell, SRO at Upperman High School. Here are some concerns I have as an
SRO in the school system in Putnam County:
TEXTING WHILE DRIVING IS ILLEGAL IN TENNESSEE
Tennessee’s distracted driving laws impose different restrictions depending on the circumstances. This
article gives an overview of what the law prohibits and the penalties you’ll face for a violation.
Text Messaging Distracted Driving Laws
Be the Solution—Not a Statistic
One Distraction Can Steal Your Reaction
Every day, 9 people die in the U.S. because of distracted driving. It’s a growing epidemic… and it’s
entirely preventable. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents leading to injury and even death. To combat the epidemic, states across the country have implemented laws targeting distracted driving habits. It is important to remember that even if states do not have laws directly related to distracted driving, the act of driving distracted leads to driving behavior that is illegal, such as reckless driving and other traffic violations.
Texting and driving is illegal in Tennessee. Drivers with a TN learner’s permit OR intermediate driver’s license are PROHIBITED from using a cell phone while driving. To apply for your intermediate restricted driver’s license in Tennessee, you must: be at least 16 years old, have held your learner’s permit for at least 180 days, and have completed 50 hours of supervised driving practice (including at least 10 hours at night). Those with an intermediate restricted license are prohibited from driving between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., UNLESS: They are accompanied by a parent or guardian; They are accompanied by a licensed driver 21 or older who has been designated by the parent or guardian.
Tennessee law prohibits using a cellphone or wireless electronic device to send or read a text message
while driving. However, there’s an exception for drivers who are using a hands-free device to send or receive a text message. The laws of most states restrict not only texting while driving, but also texting while temporarily stopped at signals and in traffic. However, Tennessee’s law prohibits texting only while a driver’s vehicle is actually in motion.
Penalties- A violation of Tennessee’s texting-while-driving law is a Class C Misdemeanor. The maximum
fine for the violation is $60 (including court costs). A texting ticket will also add demerit points to the
person’s driving record. And first-time violators must complete a driver education course.
Exceptions- Tennessee’s texting ban doesn’t apply to law enforcement officers and other emergency
personnel who send or receive text communications in the discharge of their duties. And there’s also an
exception for anyone who uses text communication to communicate with emergency personnel during an
actual emergency.