Thursday, January 20, 2011
Starting today, Metro police will do what few, if any, police agencies have done in Middle Tennessee to combat this [texting] problem: text patrols. Metro is pooling the department's unmarked SUVs to cruise Nashville's trouble spots, peer down at drivers and ticket those who just can't disconnect. The SUVs, many of which were seized from drug cases, are used by specialized detectives like the department's gang unit.
Though other agencies do enforce the texting law, oftentimes the only time a driver is cited for texting while driving is when there's another offense.
"The drivers usually admit to texting as their excuse for the other violation, believe it or not," said Kyle Evans, spokesman for the Murfreesboro Police Department. "We do use undercover vehicles to look for dangerous driving, including texting while driving, but the texting is usually the reason for the dangerous driving."