Tennesseans caught using cellphones while driving could face increased fines.
On Thursday, the Tennessee Senate voted to pass a bill that increases taxes for drivers using their cellphones. The legislation said drivers would be responsible for a $50 fine, $29.50 privilege tax for court expenses, a $3 penalty for a victim’s fund, and about $40 in local litigation taxes.
Sen. Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) said the bill was brought to him by a local municipal judge, and is supported by the Tennessee Municipal Judge’s Conference. He said it addresses violations of Tennessee’s current “Hands Free Law.”
Present law makes it illegal for drivers to hold a cell phone or mobile device with any part of their body while driving. Drivers are prohibited from writing, sending, and reading text messages as well as watching anything on their phone while driving.
The law also prohibits drivers from recording videos.
Penalties can result in points on a driver’s record. There is a $50 fine for first-time offenders. Fines can increase to $200 depending on the number of offenses, if the violation results in a crash or occurs in a work or school zone.
Since the law’s enactment, Haile said the state has averaged about 12,000 convictions per year. He said the proposed legislation removes the court cap of $10 and moves it up to 50 percent of court costs, varying from county to county.
“Each county has their court costs set, so this is [up to] 50 percent of other moving traffic violations,” Haile said. The senator added that the judge and the court clerk would be responsible for determining the amount.
The bill passed the Senate with 20 ayes and 11 nays, and is headed to the House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee.