Operation Hands-Free Bus Tour
Summertime is when drivers hit the roads in droves. Families and friends are ticking off destinations from their bucket lists. The National Highway Safety Administration offers summer driving safety tips to keep travelers focused for long and short trips. One caution to be aware of is distracted driving.
Distracted driving is estimated to occur every 31 minutes and 15 seconds, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. These accidents can be avoided by following the helpful tips from the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO).
- Put your mobile phone away.
Pull over if you need to make a phone call or send a text message. Never use a mobile device while driving. Although a hands-free device is safer, the driver should still exercise caution and remain focused on the road. - Set your GPS in advance.
Program your GPS navigation before you leave the driveway. If you need to adjust your GPS, then pull over. Never operate GPS navigation while driving. - Safely secure child passengers and pets.
Before you begin driving, make sure all passengers are properly secured. If child passengers or pets become disruptive within the vehicle, pull over to address the disruptions. - Eat beforehand.
Make time in your schedule to eat before your trip. Never eat behind the wheel.
In April, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office conducted an ‘Operation Hands Free’ bus tour in Knoxville. CTR’s Armondo Fontes, East Region Law Enforcement Liaison, THSO, served as the contact for the day. When asked by WVLT-TV about the event, Fontes said, “We have so many roadway fatalities that involve of people in vehicles and some pedestrians that are a result people that are simply doing everything else except driving a motor vehicle on the roadway,”
THSP Director Buddy Lewis said, “THSO is proud to continue collaborating with the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), THP (Tennessee Highway Patrol), TDOT (Tennessee Department of Transportation), and our many traffic partners across Tennessee. Since 2017, we’ve been working with agencies statewide to localize this effort, and it’s become a common practice. In 2021, the THSO was honored to receive the Governor’s Highway Safety Association’s Peter K. O’Rourke Special Achievement Award for the innovative bus-tour concept and its effectiveness.”
Marissa Maurer, a Center for Transportation Research staff member, participated in the Knoxville location of the program and shared her thoughts on the day’s events from her perspective. She gave the answers below when interviewed about her experience.
What was your experience on the day you participated in Operation Hands Free Bus Tour?
“We rode in a Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) bus to the interstate, then on the interstate until we got past downtown Knoxville, and then back for about 45 minutes. During this time, the police officers and volunteers looked out the bus windows for drivers breaking the “Hands-Free Tennessee” law. When a police officer became aware of a distracted or otherwise dangerous driver, he would radio to his cohort to come from behind or beside the bus and pull them over.”
In total, this method observed the following violations:
• Thirty distracted drivers,
• Four speeding
• Six adults and one child not wearing a seatbelt
• Two due care violations
• Two driving without a driver’s license
• One illegal window tint
These violations are illegal and subjected the drivers to potential consequences for the drivers. Other distracted behaviors were observed that were not illegal yet had the potential to be dangerous.
Examples of this included:
• People driving with their knees so that they can eat
• Applying makeup in the mirror while driving
• Talking to a passenger while not looking at the road
What did you learn that day?
“I learned that the police officers who ticket for crimes like this really do care about drivers’ safety. A person who is cited for unsafe behavior may be less likely to do it again in the future, especially if these officers explain why using your phone at the same time as driving is so dangerous.”
What surprised you about your distracted driving experience?
“Every minute or so we would hear one of the officers speaking on his radio about another driver breaking the law, the widespread nature of this issue is what surprised me the most. People of all ages in all kinds of cars all doing the same thing that could get them or others killed.”
After this experience, what message would you like to share with drivers?
“Do NOT text and drive! At best, you’ll end up with a ticket, and at worst it could cause you or others to lose their lives. It is not worth it. Even if everyone you know does it, be the odd one out. You don’t have to be influenced by your peers, but you can try to be a positive influence on them.”
As a driver, will you make any changes after this experience? What about as a pedestrian?
“After this experience, I may drive more cautiously, as it showed me that a lot of drivers are only paying attention to the road about once every 5 seconds, which is a very scary situation to be in on the road. As a pedestrian, the same applies. Pedestrians especially must always be alert and aware because they have no protection from a person texting in a car who doesn’t even know he is about to run you over.”
To learn more about the Operation Hands Free Bus Tour visit the THSO Distracted Driving Page. For more information contact THSO State Coordinator, Beth.Vernon@tn.gov, 865.456.1589.