| U.S Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood today announced federal guidance to expressly prohibit texting by
drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses. The
prohibition is effective immediately and is the latest in a series of
actions taken by the Department to combat distracted driving since the
Secretary convened a national summit on the issue last September.
“We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and
those who share the roads with them to be safe,” said Secretary LaHood.
“This is an important safety step and we will be taking more to
eliminate the threat of distracted driving.”
The action is the result of the Department’s interpretation of
standing rules. Truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial
vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.
"Our regulations will help prevent unsafe activity within the
cab,” said Anne Ferro, Administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier
Safety Administration (FMCSA). “We want to make it crystal clear to
operators and their employers that texting while driving is the type of
unsafe activity that these regulations are intended to prohibit."
FMCSA research shows that drivers who send and receive text messages
take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every
6 seconds while texting. At 55 miles per hour, this means that the
driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end
zones, without looking at the road. Drivers who text while driving
are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than
non-distracted drivers. Because of the safety risks associated
with the use of electronic devices while driving, FMCSA is also working
on additional regulatory measures that will be announced in the coming
months.
During the September 2009 Distracted Driving
Summit, the Secretary announced the Department’s plan to pursue this
regulatory action, as well as rulemakings to reduce the risks posed by
distracted driving. President Obama also signed an Executive Order
directing federal employees not to engage in text messaging while
driving government-owned vehicles or with government-owned equipment.
Federal employees were required to comply with the ban starting on
December 30, 2009.
The regulatory guidance on today’s announcement will be on public
display in the Federal Register January 26 and will appear in
print in the Federal Register on January 27.
The public can follow the progress of the U.S.
Department of Transportation in working to combat distracted driving www.distraction.gov. |
