New laws for the new year

Now that 2016 has started, there are several new laws that went into effect on Friday, Jan 1 that Tennessee citizens need to be made aware of.
Of the six new laws that when into effect on Friday, Three of them in involve driving, including two laws that could cost drivers more money. The third law will save both time and money.
The fines for driving without a seat belt have now more than doubled from $10 to $25 for the first offense, and from $20 to $50 for any subsequent  offenses. In addition, the next phase of the “James Lee  Atwood Jr. Law”, which when fully implemented, will make it tougher to drive with out liability insurance. The new law states that the state has one year to create a database that will allow all County Court Clerks to electronically confirm weather or not a person has an active auto liability insurance policy, before issuing new registration stickers or tags. The new database must be in place by Jan. 1, 2017. The law also provides for stronger penalties, and will allow officers to tow vehicles when sufficient proof of liability insurance can not be produced.
One new traffic law that will save drivers time and money states that beginning Jan. 1, drivers must get their drivers license renewed every eight years, instead of every five years as has been in years past.

To view more, please log in or subscribe to the digital edition.