If the bill is approved, Tennessee will be the first state to deal with porn viewing in vehicles, an issue that is being perceived by state lawmakers as a growing problem. Police nationwide have been inundated with complaints from bystanders and other motorists in recent months regarding exposure to porn movies in moving vehicles.
Issues regarding child safety have also been raised, although the constitutionality of banning what people choose to watch in the privacy of their own cars has lit a fire under free speech advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee, which has been a staunch critic of the bill since it first made its appearance in the State Legislature.
''Our state cannot determine for individuals which movies they should be able to watch in their homes or in their vehicles,'' states the ACLU.
The bill would be an adjunct to a current law that outlaws offensive bumper stickers and window signs.
Local authorities would be able to impose a $50 fine on drivers caught committing an act of drive-by-porn. The bill would apply to any ''obscene or patently offensive'' film, videotape, DVD, say reports, although Tennessee lawmakers admit that determining what type of content falls under that definition could cause problems on many levels.
Other states are currently battling the same issue of drive-by porn. The Michigan City Council has gotten so many complaints about people watching pornographic videos inside cars that they are pushing for a $500 fine.
According to reports, 37 states have laws in place that prohibit the act of driving a vehicle and watching television at the same time.
