U.S. Bans Texting by Commercial Bus and Truck Drivers

In a move designed to make our nation’s roads and highways safer, the U.S. government has just banned commercial bus and truck drivers from texting while they are behind the wheel.

Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in traffic accidents where texting or another form of driver distraction was cited as a cause, according to transportation officials. Studies have shown drivers who are sending or receiving texts take their eyes off the road and are otherwise distracted, leading to serious vehicle accidents.

Recently, engineers on commuter trains and freight trains have crashed while texting, causing scores of passenger deaths and injuries.

Bus and truck drivers who send or receive texts while driving may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of as much as $2,750, officials said, according to a Bloomberg news report.

“Our regulations will help prevent unsafe activity within the cab,” said Anne Ferro, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “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.”

While the new ban prohibits commercial truck and bus drivers from either sending or receiving text messages on cell phones, it does not apply to in-cab computers, such as those used by FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. drivers to communicate with dispatchers, officials said.

Trucking safety groups called the texting ban a good first step toward reducing crashes caused by distracted drivers, but said more limits on the use of cell phones and similar devices may be needed to further reduce traffic accidents.

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