The $2,750 Text Crime
Posted by Karen Thomas on Wed, Jan 27, 2010 @ 10:04 AM
If you're a commercial driver reading this blog post while on the road and ready to make a comment - DROP THAT CELL PHONE! The Department of Transportation made its official statement today, banning commercial drivers from text messaging no matter was state he or she operates in.
Bus drivers, drivers of large trucks including owner-operators, delivery drivers and the like are included as part of the DOT's primary audience. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made the official announcement from Washington D.C. yesterday. And that very ban - starts now (or technically 24 hours ago when the announcement was made.)
After several months of deliberating on the dangers of text messaging, the DOT made it official - you just can't do it. Text messaging while driving (or in a restaurant, in the middle of a conversation or any other human interaction) is a proven distraction. Any distraction on the road is a hazard - and when those hazards can be controlled - the DOT will do so.
At yesterday's announcement Secretary LaHood said, "We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe. This is an important safety step and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving."
Those commercial drivers violate the no-texting regulation may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.
Anne Ferro, Administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said, "Our regulations will help prevent unsafe activity within the cab," said Anne Ferro, Administrator for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). "We want to make it crystal clear to operators and their employers that texting while driving is the type of unsafe activity that these regulations are intended to prohibit."