Tennessee drivers commonly fail to obey the rules of the road, such as staying to the right or passing on the left.
Tennessee traffic laws exist for an important reason – safety. Motorists, passengers, and pedestrians are all safer when everyone follows the law. Despite this, many drivers continue to disobey the traffic code.
Below, you’ll find seven of the most commonly ignored rules of the road. Keep reading to know what they are and understand their impact on drivers across the state.
Learn more with the following resources:
- Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual
- Tennessee Code – Operation of Vehicle – Rules of the Road
1. Tennessee Slower Traffic Keep Right Law: The “Move Over” Rule
Tennessee requires all slower vehicles to move over to the right. If you are not traveling at the pace of regular traffic, you must stay in the right-hand lane or the near the right curb. The only exceptions are to prepare to pass or make a left turn.
Any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except when overtaking and passing another vehicle or when preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
2. Tennessee Flow of Traffic Law: The “Minimum Speed” Rule
If you see a posted minimum speed on a Tennessee roadway, you must drive at least that pace. You also cannot drive slow enough to impede the usual flow of traffic unless you need to for safety or to comply with the law.
No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.
Whenever the department of transportation or a local authority within its respective jurisdiction determines that slow speeds on any part of a highway consistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the department or local authority may determine and declare a minimum speed limit below which no person shall drive a vehicle except when necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.
3. Tennessee Driving in Left Lane Law: The “Passing on the Left” Rule
Tennessee’s code requires you to pass on the left when passing another vehicle. Additionally, you can’t move back to the right until you clear the other car entirely. The motorist being passed must give way and cannot speed up until the other vehicle has wholly overtaken them.
If your pass requires crossing the center line, you must complete your pass before you come within 100 feet of any oncoming vehicles. The law also prohibits passing within 100 feet of an intersection or when you can’t safely see far enough ahead. Hills, curves, and bridges can all prevent you from seeing enough of the oncoming lanes to operate safely.
The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle shall pass to the left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.
Except when overtaking and passing on the right is permitted, the driver of an overtaken vehicle shall give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle on audible signal and shall not increase the speed of the overtaken vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle.
No vehicle shall be driven to the left side of the center of the roadway in overtaking and passing another vehicle, unless the left side is clearly visible and is free from oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit overtaking and passing to be completely made without interfering with the safe operation of any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction or any vehicle overtaken.
In every event the overtaking vehicle must return to the right-hand side of the roadway before coming within one hundred feet of any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction.
No vehicle shall at any time be driven to the left side of the roadway under the following conditions:
- When approaching the crest of a grade or upon a curve in the highway where the driver’s view is obstructed within three hundred feet or such distance as to create a hazard in the event another vehicle might approach from the opposite direction;
- When approaching within one hundred feet (100′) of or traversing any intersection or railroad grade crossing; or
- When the view is obstructed upon approaching within one hundred feet (100′) of any bridge, viaduct or tunnel.
4. Tennessee Rear-End Collision Law: The “Following Too Closely” Rule
Tennessee prohibits drivers from following another vehicle closer than is “reasonable and prudent.” The distance that is considered reasonable will change based on speed and road and traffic conditions.
The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of the vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway.
5. Tennessee Mobile Phone Driving Law: The “Hands-Free Driving” Rule
Drivers over 18 can use their phones to make calls, but Tennessee requires you to operate your cell phone in hands-free mode. Any typing, texting, or holding of the phone while driving is illegal unless you’re calling for help during an emergency.
A person, while operating a motor vehicle, shall not physically hold or support, with any part of the person’s body, a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device; write, send, or read any text-based communication; or reach for a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device in a manner that requires the driver to no longer be in a seated driving position or properly restrained by a safety belt.
This does not prohibit a person eighteen years of age or older from using an earpiece, headphone device, or device worn on a wrist to conduct a voice-based communication.
This section does not apply to persons using a wireless telecommunications device to communicate with law enforcement agencies, medical providers, fire departments, or other emergency service agencies while driving a motor vehicle, if the use is necessitated by a bona fide emergency, including a natural or human occurrence that threatens human health, life, or property.
6. Tennessee Four-Way Intersection Law: The “4-Way Stop” Rule
When two drivers reach a Tennessee intersection simultaneously, the law allows the driver to the right to proceed first. The driver to the left must yield the right of way.
When two vehicles enter an intersection from different highways or drives at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.
7. Tennessee Left Turn Intersection Law: The “Right of Way” Rule
When making a left turn, the Tennessee code requires you to allow traffic headed in the opposite direction to go first. You must yield to any vehicles in the intersection or close enough to it to present a safety hazard. Once clear, you can proceed with the turn.
The driver of a vehicle within an intersection intending to turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is within the intersection or so close thereto as to constitute an immediate hazard, but the driver, having yielded and given a signal may make the left turn, and the other vehicles approaching from the opposite direction shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle making the left turn.
Following the rules of the road is critical if you want to be a safe and conscientious motorist. You can help prevent accidents and avoid tickets by obeying the traffic code. So, keep these seven traffic laws in mind the next time you’re behind the wheel.