A federal ban is now in effect as of 1/26/10, prohibiting text messaging while driving commercial vehicles. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood, is quoted as saying, “We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe. This is an important safety step and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving.” Future regulatory actions that FMCSA is looking into include electronic device usage while driving. We will hear more information in the next few months.
The fine is steep at $2,750 under a civil and criminal penalty. Large enough to grab drivers attention. The fine will definitely distract commercial drivers from text messaging while driving.
Anne Ferro, the Administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), made it clear that this new regulation will avert unsafe behavior inside the cab and that the text messaging ban is under the FMCSA regulations umbrella.
FMCSA’s past research proves that drivers take their eyes off the road 4.6 seconds for every 6 seconds of text messaging. In mileage, that’s a football field! And those who text more than 20 times a day while driving, are 20 times more likely to create an accident than those who do not. The statistics explains why actions were taken for banning text messaging while driving.
For those who would like to read the new text-messaging ban, it will be in print 1/27/10 in the Federal Register. To follow the U.S. Dept. of Transportation progression to fight against drivers distracted while on the road, go to www.distraction.gov. They have an aggressive agenda that will be an exciting piece of history to follow.
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