DOT takes texting truckers to task

DOT takes texting truckers to task    Commercial truck and bus drivers are immediately banned from text messaging under new rules issued Tuesday by the Department of Transportation, which has made the dangers of distracted driving a top priority in the past seven months.
   'We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe,' Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement, adding that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is developing other regulations to control the use of electronic devices while commercial drivers are behind the wheel.
   The action is the result of the department's interpretation of existing rules. Truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.

Ferro

   “Our regulations will help prevent unsafe activity within the cab,' said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. '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-sponsored 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 mph, this means that the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road. A driver who texts is at least 20 times more likely to get in an accident than a non-distracted driver, according to the DOT.
   The Obama administration at the beginning of the year prohibited federal employees from texting while driving government-owned vehicles or equipment.
   The American Trucking Associations endorsed the DOT's move to prohibit the sending or receiving of text messages while driving.
   The industry association also supports efforts by states to ban texting by automobile drivers.
   In October 2008, ATA adopted a policy limiting the use of electronic devices that may distract drivers. ATA policy supports the safe use of technologies and encourages motor carriers to consider a range of policies and safeguards intended to reduce, minimize or eliminate driver distractions that may be caused by the increased use of electronic technologies — like global positioning systems and cellular phones — during the operation of all types of motor vehicles.
   The Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association said it supported the DOT's goals, but objected to the way it was implemented without going through the regular rulemaking process to check for unintended consequences and potential enforcement problems.