The U.S. Transportation Department proposed to make permanent a ban on texting by interstate truck and bus drivers, with the agency trying to cut down the number of accidents by cutting down on driver distractions. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gFP1DYVH_F_STKnQ7PqSkRAK3RkQD9EPQER02
The proposal is essentially following up on the action taken in January by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who ordered an interim texting ban for the drivers of commercial trucks and buses over 10,000 pounds. Those who violate the ban could have criminal or civil penalties imposed on them.
According to the Transportation Department, 5,870 people died and 515,000 were hurt in 2008 in crashes linked to driver distractions, typically cellphones or other mobile devices, according to the Associated Press. The District of Columbia and 20 states now ban drivers from texting. The Associated Press story cited a frightening statistic from a study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It found that drivers who text take their eyes off the road an average of 4.6 seconds out of every six seconds of texting. If a car is traveling at 55 miles per hour, that means the driver is going the length of a football field without looking at the road.
That’s some pretty sobering data.
President Obama has already signed an executive order, effective the end of last year, that tells federal employees not to text message while behind the wheel of government vehicles.