Federal Government Slam Brakes on Texting Truckers

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Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation issued a ban on texting by drivers of commercial vehicles, including large trucks and buses.

Said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement, “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.”

Drivers of large trucks and buses who send or receive text messages on their cellphones while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.

Last September, LaHood had announced he wanted to pursue this sort of regulatory policy, as well as additional rules of the road to diminish the impact of distracted driving on the nation’s motorists.

A number of recent studies have shown the dangers of texting while driving:

• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration research shows drivers sending or receiving text messages take their eyes off of the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. This means that at 55 mph, the driver’s vehicle travels the length of a football field while the driver’s eyes are looking at the cellphone.
• The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that truckers who text are 23 times more likely to be in danger of crashing than non-texting drivers.
• The Transport Research Laboratory found that texting while driving is riskier than driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The reaction times of the texting drivers were 35 percent slower; reaction times of drunk drivers were slowed 12 percent and the reaction times of drivers who had used marijuana were slowed 21 percent, according to the research.  

California bans cellphone use by all drivers while driving. This includes texting by truckers, school bus drivers and drivers of personal vehicles.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash caused by a distracted driver, contact a San Diego personal injury lawyer or car accident attorney who can evaluate your case, help determine liability and pursue compensation.