DOT to Ban Text-Messaging By Bus and Truck Drivers

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said it would ban text-messaging by bus drivers, truckers, and railroad engineers and urge states to impose similar restrictions on drivers of passenger cars.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s widely anticipated announcement came Thursday, Oct. 1, at the end of a highly publicized two-day summit on distracted driving by commercial and automobile drivers. DOT recognizes distracted driving as a problem among all drivers, but the department currently has authority only to regulate commercial vehicle operators.

Data released by U.S. DOT showed that 11% of drivers in fatal crashes had been distracted at the time of the accident in 2008, compared with 8% in 2004. Last year, more than 500,000 people were injured and nearly 6,000 were killed in crashes involving inattentive motorists.

This is the federal government's first big push to curb distracted driving. Trucking companies and other potentially affected industries voiced support for the rules, which could take months to implement.

The bigger question may be how to enforce such bans. Technology may be one answer. Companies are offering a range of solutions, such as devices that won't send text messages if they are in motion, and on-board dispatch devices for truckers that go blank once the truck's engine starts.


Sources: http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=82163
http://www.rita.dot.gov/distracted_driving_summit/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125433920096553295.html