Tennessee cell phone laws you need to know that will keep you safe and ticket free.
It’s already against the law in Tennessee to text and drive, and starting July 1st 2019, it will be against the law to even hold a cell phone when you’re behind the wheel.
To be able to talk while operating a moving vehicle, you have to be hands free by using a Bluetooth headset with microphone or Bluetooth car kit device “links below” that can plugin to your car charger port or hang from your visor. You can use the speaker to talk, but you can’t drive looking at it or touching your phone.
From what we believe at this point, officers will have to physically witness a driver holding a cell phone before they can make a stop, also remember there are technologies out there today that officers can tell if you are communicating from your phone. This just needs to stop, with technology out there today we don’t need to be so visually connected to our phone while driving. I beleive this is only the first step that needs to be made to slow drivers down from being distracted, this is the real issue that needs to be solved here.
A driver can be fined as much as $200 if involved in a crash or standard $100.00 per stop. I think if you look at all the local traffic today you will also agree the new law is needed. With a lot of people this will be a very hard habit to break.
There are some exceptions to the law, like using the phone for navigation while it’s in a phone or stand holder or attached to the vehicle’s dashboard for GPS purposes.
