There is no reason to restrict information available to public

A bill currently before Tennessee’s General Assembly is a danger to the public’s right to know. That bill, sponsored by Rep. Tre’ Hargett, R-Bartlett, would restrict the public’s access to crucial information contained in accident reports. It is bad legislation that should be killed in committee.

Under Hargett’s bill, all personal information contained in the reports ? including names of drivers, passengers and witnesses ? could be blacked out.

What happens, for instance, if a public or elected official is involved in an accident in which someone is hurt, or even killed? Shouldn’t the public have a right to know the circumstances surrounding that accident, and if drugs and alcohol were involved? We think so.

Or what happens if a school bus filled with children is involved in an accident? Don’t parents have a right to know the cause of that accident ? whether it is driver error, or a mechanical malfunction? We think they do.

The bottom line is, there are plenty of reasons for keeping records open, and no justifiable reason for closing them. Keeping records open is the only way to hold people accountable for their actions and to ultimately guarantee the public’s safety.