AAA reports that Almost All Tennessee Drivers say Texting While Driving is Dangerous

Knoxville, TN – More than 102,000 traffic crashes have been caused by distracted drivers in Tennessee in just the past five years, AAA reports. In recognition of Distracted Driving Awareness Month, AAA warns drivers to put it down, don’t text and drive and avoid any activities that divert attention from the primary driving task.

Any distractions could endanger a driver, passengers, or others sharing the road including bicyclists or pedestrians.

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Motor Vehicle Crashes still the leading cause of Death for Teens in the United States

Teen Driver Safety Week is October 18th – 24th

Knoxville, TN – A significant number of parents are unaware of Tennessee’s Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) guidelines, according to a study commissioned by the Tennessee Department of Health.

The survey showed 14 percent of parents who currently have teen drivers or have parented teen drivers in the last five years were unaware of the law. Tennessee’s current GDL law includes restrictions on passengers, cell phone use and driving at night and includes required practice driving time prior to moving to the next phase.

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Tennessee Department of Health says be prepared for Winter Driving

Nashville, TN – A new round of winter weather is moving into Tennessee, as many residents are still returning home from holiday visits or getting back into work routines. Wherever you’re driving, don’t pack up the car without including your emergency supplies!

Snow, ice and sub-freezing temperatures of winter weather can come with little or no warning and can create treacherous driving conditions. The Department of Health is reminding Tennesseans to plan ahead to avoid dangerous winter travel problems. [Read more]

Consumer Protections Lacking For Mobile Payments Charged to Phone Accounts

Consumers Union Calls on Wireless Carriers to Strengthen Mobile Payment Protections for Consumers

San Francisco, CA – Most cell phone and tablet users can purchase digital goods and charge them to their monthly bill or prepaid phone account. But they may not get the protections they need to limit their financial liability if something goes wrong with the transaction. The protections consumers receive will vary depending on their wireless carrier’s policies and what’s in their cell phone contract, according to a new analysis by Consumers Union.

“Consumers using mobile payments should get the same strong protections they currently enjoy when they make purchases with a credit card or debit card,” said Michelle Jun, senior attorney for Consumers Union, the nonprofit advocacy arm of Consumer Reports. “But we found that consumer rights can vary widely between wireless carriers and the protections carriers claim to provide are often nowhere to be found in customer contracts.” [Read more]

AT&T Named worst cell-phone Service Provider

U.S. Cellular Surpasses Former Top Provider Verizon Wireless;
January Report Also Features Tips for Avoiding Bill Shock

Yonkers, NY – AT&T is now the worst-rated cell-phone service carrier according to a new survey of Consumer Reports readers. U.S. Cellular, a regional carrier that provides service in 26 states, beat out the long-standing top provider Verizon Wireless with outstanding marks for value, voice service and customer support. The full article also features carrier Ratings in 23 metropolitan markets and is in the January 2011 issue of Consumer Reports and at www.ConsumerReports.org.

In this year’s version of an annual Consumer Reports survey on cell-phone carriers, more than 58,000 ConsumerReports.org subscribers weighed in about their service and customer support experiences with contract and no-contract providers. [Read more]