FMCSA Bans Truckers from Texting
Posted on Fri, Nov 12, 2010 @ 09:37 AM
In 2007, Washington became the first state to ban texting while driving, with many states following suit since then. Government legislature is beginning to see how dangerous texting is while drivin, as last week the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration put a formal ban on texting by truckers:
On November 7, 2010, the FMCSA announced a formal ban on texting for commercial truckers.
Per the press release:
“Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood also announced an additional texting ban designed to close a loophole involving intrastate haulers of hazardous materials. The rule will mirror the FMCSA ban on texting, but will cover rigs hauling hazardous materials not subject to the FMCSA rule. This includes approximately 1,490 intrastate hazmat carriers and almost 12,000 drivers.”
LaHood is the nation’s top transportation official and one of his main goals is to stop distracted driving. Some see his efforts to limit the risks of distracted driving as an effort to ban all cell phone use for all drivers. His current goal is not to ban cell phone use all together, but to make our nation’s roads safer. A study that came from Virginia Tech found that truckers were 23 times more likely to cause an accident while texting.
This number was too large for LaHood to ignore.
He said drivers of commercial vehicles caught texting could be fined up to $2,750. Under most nationwide wireless plans, the most you could ever pay for one text message is about 50 cents. With this new law in place that 50 cents is the least of a drivers’ worries.
Additionally, a recent FMCSA study revealed that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 out of every six seconds. At 55 MPH, that means a texting driver travels the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road. As it stands, many states only ban the use of cell phones unless a hands-free device is being used.
People are still allowed to talk on the phone in some states because talking on the phone only takes your focus away from the road. In fact, there are only nine states that ban the use of hand-held phones while driving and only five more partially ban hand-held cell phone use. Even though studies have shown that using a hands free device is no safer than holding the phone, it is not illegal to use a hands free device. The reason they are both just as dangerous is because it is the conversation itself that distracts the driver. More and more states are starting to restrict or ban cell phone use while driving. A complete list of restrictions is found at can be found on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's website.