DOT Proposes Ban by Interstate Truckers and Bus Drivers

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

DOT Proposes Ban by Interstate Truckers and Bus Drivers

There was an article today on the Washington Post "Get There" blog with Dr. Gridlock about a proposal from the U.S. Department of Transportation seeking to ban text messaging at the wheel by interstate commercial truck and bus drivers.

The Post reports that the plan would "make permanent an interim ban announced in January by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. It would apply to drivers of interstate buses and trucks over 10,000 pounds. Truck and bus drivers who text while driving could face civil or criminal penalties."

Acording to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) research, 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 miles per hour, this means that the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road. Drivers who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than non-distracted drivers.

Members of the public have 30 days to comment on the proposed rule, DOT said in a statement. Comments can be submitted at www.regulationroom.org/texting or www.regulations.gov/. Additional information and resources can also be found online at Distraction.org, the official government Web site for distracted driving.

Loudoun County Traffic is in favor of the texting ban. Voice your support (or disagreement) by commenting below -- as well as at the Web links mentioned above.