By the end of the day, an estimated 11 teenagers will lose their lives to distracted driving, and many more will be injured. Through this petition, we urge the state legislature to pass a Hands Free Tennessee Bill.

An estimated 3,000 deaths occur each year nationally as a result of distracted driving. Most recently, Georgia passed a “Hands Free Law,” which took effect in July 2018. All drivers in the state of Georgia are prohibited not only from texting while driving but also from touching or holding their phone while operating a vehicle. Georgia is the 16th state to enact this kind of law. Other states which have passed similar laws saw a 16 percent decrease in traffic-related deaths within two years of enacting the legislation. We’re asking the Tennessee Legislature to pass a similar law to protect drivers.

After seeing an increase in distracted driving related crashes, law firm Warren & Griffin launched the “NVR TXT & DRV” campaign 10 years ago, even before Georgia passed a law on it. Today, we are hoping even more people will commit to safe driving, since texting and driving is the determined cause of a quarter of all car crashes.

If you or a loved one has been impacted by a distracted driver, we urge you to sign the petition today. Let your elected officials know you support a Hands Free Law in Tennessee and help us protect future generations.