AEDC police re-emphasize dangers of texting and driving

  • Published
  • By Patrick Ary
  • AEDC/PA
AEDC police re-emphasize dangers of texting and driving --  Police at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) will tell you driving while typing or reading a text message is just as bad as drunk driving.

They even have a point of reference.

Recently AEDC officer Steve Luttrell pulled over a driver operating his vehicle in an erratic manner on Wattendorf Highway.

"The initial call was a possible DUI," said Don Miller, operations officer for AEDC police. "So when Luttrell got behind him, he was weaving all over the place, and when he finally stopped he said he was texting."

Doing both at the same time is against the law. Police point to another example on Jan. 24 as someone who made the right move - to the shoulder of the road.

That night, officer Larry Swan was working the night shift when he saw a vehicle on the side of the road. He pulled over to make a welfare check on the driver, who said she had pulled over on the shoulder to send a text message.

In the first case, AEDC police say the man was issued a citation that could end up costing him about $200. The woman who pulled over to text had no worries. AEDC Police Chief Rick Trull says the latter is the preferred option if you feel compelled to read or type a message on the phone.

"It's good to know that someone has the forethought and discipline to at least pull over," Trull said. "Obviously the best course of action is to wait until you come upon a safe place to pull off the road if possible, but if you must read or type a text urgently, then ensure you pull completely off the roadway and out of the lane of traffic. Use your emergency flashers to warn approaching drivers that you're stopped and complete your communications."

In July 2009, it became illegal in the state of Tennessee to operate a motor vehicle while using a cell phone to send or receive text messages. By policy, ATA employees are not allowed to even put the phone to their ear for a conversation on base. Offenders are looking at a minimum of three points against their base driving privileges.

Police say the reason is simple: the risks of talking on the phone when you should be paying attention to the road far outweigh the benefits.

"Most of our people are responsible people," Trull said. "By and large, our folks are not going to drink in excess and get behind the wheel and drive. They know that's not the right thing to do and they're responsible enough not to do it. They're not going to get on a crowded road and try to drive 100 miles an hour, because they're responsible enough to know it will get them or someone else killed. And they should feel the same way about talking on a cell phone or texting while they're driving, because all those are lumped into the same category."

ATA safety manager Warner Holt says it's a safety issue that is similar to the workplace; people have to buy into the fact that it keeps them safe and can prevent an accident before they will follow the rules.

"What we fight against all the time is 'It won't happen to me,'" Holt said. "But those with that true safety mindset have had some kind of an event in their life or someone close to them - most of the time - that has prompted them to buy into safety."

Holt says sometimes disciplining offenders is the answer, but base leaders could also be important in preventing an accident before it occurs.

"The key and task of the leaders ... is how do you get across to somebody that it's dangerous and get them to buy in?" Holt said.

And buying in could be difficult as the people who enforce the law try to keep up with technology that seems to change every day, offering more that can take a driver's attention away from what they should be doing.

"Smart phones in general have so many apps (applications) now that you can get an app to do all kinds of stuff," said Dan Hawkins, ATA's installation security section supervisor. "There are always new levels of distractions being added in, and I think that's a concern that's going to be amplified over the next few years."

In the meantime, police will be watching to make sure ATA employees are following the rules on base. Officer Miller said the department has a low number of phone usage tickets, but they know there are still people out there sneaking calls or text messages on their phones.

"It's a human behavior you're trying to change," Miller said. "It's just like a bad habit."

If you see someone on the highway driving dangerously, Chief Trull says you should write down a description and tag number of the vehicle if possible and report it immediately to police dispatch at 454-5662. That way, they can pay offenders a visit.

"We can't legally go out and write a state citation unless we observe the infraction, but we can discuss the issue with them and we definitely will," Trull said. "If we observe the violation, we'll definitely cite them."