News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville police are trying to reinforce the importance of the hands-free law through extra patrols targeting those violating the law.
Traffic Captain Jeff Johnson said that the department saw a 17.8 percent increase in traffic crashes last year. Johnson said that cell phone use one of the top causes.
“It’s a habit that people have to break as far as hands-free,” Johnson said. “People spend a lot of time speaking on their phones, texting on their phones, so we’re just trying to break that habit as they’re driving. So we have seen a small change, and we hope to see more with the educational programs we do through the schools and the enforcement actions we do out here on the street.”
Johnson said that they have been dedicated a few hours during the day to set up in traffic crash hot spots. He said that includes South Jefferson Avenue, West Jackson Street, and Willow Avenue.
Johnson said that the department does patrols like these several times a year. He said that it can be for anything from enforcing the hands-free law to seatbelt checks.
“It’s education, we want to educate the drivers,” Johnson said. “That’s our main objective. It’s not about writing citations, it’s about us wanting everyone to be safe.”
Johnson said that distracted driving is a major contributor to accidents across the United States. He said that in not being allowed to have your phone on your person, he recommends getting a phone mount or some type of Bluetooth device.
