NTSB Recommends Complete Cell Phone Ban for Truck Drivers
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently called for a complete ban on cell phone use – both handheld and hands free - by all commercial truck and bus drivers.
Referring to distracted driving as “the new DUI”, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said, “Distracted driving is becoming increasingly prevalent…it can be especially lethal when the distracted driver is at the wheel of a vehicle that weighs 40 tons and travels at highway speeds.”
The NTSB’s recommendation follows its investigation of a March 2010 crash that killed 11 people in Kentucky. Investigators determined that the tractor-trailer driver who caused the accident used his mobile phone for calls and text messages a total of 69 times while driving in the 24-hour period prior to the accident. The driver made four calls in the minutes leading up to the fatal collision. The last call coincided with the time that the truck departed the highway.
While the NTSB does not have any rulemaking power, it can advise other agencies. The safety board’s actions are often a catalyst for local, state and federal legislation.
Last year, the FMCSA banned truckers from text-messaging while driving, setting fines of up to $2,750. The FMCSA anticipates a rule banning truckers from using hand-held cell phones soon.
In response to the NTSB recommendation on the cell phone ban, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, "Texting or talking on the phone while driving can turn deadly in a matter of seconds, particularly when a big rig or a bus is involved. That is why the U.S. Department of Transportation has already banned commercial drivers from texting while driving and has a rulemaking underway to ban hand-held cell phone use. There is no call or text message that is worth risking lives.”
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