Tennessee Highway Patrol uses truck's vantage point to spot texting drivers

[stewart33]

You never know where State Troopers will be!!! He sees you from a tractor/trailer and calls ahead to fellow THP officers so they can pull you over!! Do not text and drive!! Wear your seat belt!!!


Tennessee State Trooper Gordon Roberts uses the department's "No Zone" semi to spot people texting while driving on I-75 Thursday afternoon. Roberts relayed the offenders vehicle make and model information to a fellow state troopers who pulled the individuals over for citation. This is the Tennessee Highway Patrol's second day using the 18-wheeler to deter texting and drinking while driving. (Dan Henry/Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Tennessee Highway Patrol uses truck's vantage point to spot texting drivers » Knoxville News Sentinel

[cdat]

IMHO, what a waste of taxpayer funds

[Neweller]

John, you are entirely right. The bigger government gets, the more they waste and it's a runaway train right now, until it wrecks there is not much stopping it. But at the same time this also doesn't mean we don't try to slow them down where we can.

[folivier]

While the money spent on this program may be in question the problem of texting while driving is a big issue. I'm getting real tired of having someone drift in my lane while their phone is either stuck in the ear or they are texting. One idiot was even holding his phone with one hand and gesticulating so boldly with his other hand that he was all over his lane. And at least here in south Louisiana the local cops are some of the worst with using their phones.
Please people get a darn hands free or let your co-pilot text for you. Or just pull over!

[Neweller]

Forest you are correct as well. It's one of those deals where technology has made us damned if we don't and damned if we do more than anything I have ever seen in my life. I love hands free and and prefer a speaker phone a lot of the time. I guess if they start pulling DL after a texting ticket like what happens when you get a DUI, things will change in a hurry. They are both just as dangerous. Maybe the semi thing will work, I would have to see the numbers and I guess that is one way to have automatic probable cause. It's already amazing at what you see just sitting up high in a coach or semi. These guys will be busy and as long as it's to teach folks road safety and not more of a revenue source I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it.

[JustDustin]

True texting while driving has killed many people. It needs to stop, however I don't know if having officers driving around in semi trucks is going to cure the problem.

[1993Newell]

Stewart I think this article proves like you said where the state troopers will be hiding. Seems like it would be expensive in fuel...

[Hugo]

Texting should not be done while driving. Period. I don't know if this will work but they need to figure something out...

[jWolfe]

We all know you can see everything in a car from up in a big rig.

[Summersgal]

I just read a article on Drudge about this! LOL Had seen it here a few days ago and now today there! We all know what we can see from our rigs! Pam