Overton County Sheriff John Garrett said a month-long initiative statewide serves as a great reminder about the dangers of cell phones in vehicle.
Operation Hands Free is a partnership between state and local law enforcement to spread awareness and crack down on distracted driving during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Garrett said his department answers multiple calls each month concerning crashes caused by distraction.
“It’s really usually as drivers to get complacent and to get too comfortable driving,” Garret said. “We get comfortable with our own habits. So sometimes it’s nice to have a reminder to say hey, you know, we need to be safe about this.”
Garrett said distracted driving is such a problem due to the times that we live in. Garrett said cell phones are typically the most common reason someone is distracted while driving.
“Everybody is in a hurry now but the world is moving at a much faster pace,” Garrett said. “Everybody’s trying and everybody is busy now or relaxed especially the younger generation that is coming up that grew up having cell phones the whole it’s like sometimes they don’t know how to function or they can’t function without that cell phone.”
Garrett newer vehicles have lowered the amount of accidents by adding features like Bluetooth so people can keep hands on the wheel while driving. However, Garrett said cell phones are not the only thing that can distract drivers.
“It could be something as simple as maybe eating, getting a drink of water, tending to a child, speaking with another passenger inside the vehicle, or possibly dropping something and attempting to pick it up while you are driving down the road,” Garrett said. “There are just so many ways that a driver can become distracted while driving.”
Garrett said if you are struggling to focus on the road because of your cell phone the best thing to do is simply turn the phone off while driving.
