TENNESSEE HIGHWAY SAFETY OFFICE JOINS GEORGIA FOR ‘OPERATION HANDS FREE’ Tennessee Launches Award-Winning Distracted-Driving Enforcement Bus Tour Campaign on April 4

TENNESSEE – On Monday, April 4, the Tennessee Highway Safety Office (THSO) is partnering with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), the Georgia State Patrol (GSP), AAA – The Auto Club Group, and traffic safety partners across Tennessee for Operation Hands Free. To kick off the campaign, the THSO will host four press events on April 4 including distracted-driving bus tours in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. See below for details to attend and ride along.
“The THSO is proud to partner with the NHTSA, the State of Georgia, and our traffic safety partners across Tennessee,” said THSO Director Buddy Lewis. “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 in distracted-driving enforcement and awareness.”
The purpose of Operation Hands Free is to reduce distracted-driving crashes and fatalities by increasing enforcement efforts and educating citizens about the states’ hands-free laws. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will assist by utilizing digital highway message boards to spread awareness. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development will display outdoor banners at welcome centers statewide. Drivers can learn more about Tennessee’s hands-free law at www.HandsFreeTN.com and Georgia’s hands-free law at www.HeadsUpGeorgia.com.
Click here to access distracted-driving crash data provided by Tennessee’s Integrated Traffic Analysis Network (TITAN): www.tn.gov/safety/stats/dashboards/distracted-driver.html