In a move that will undoubtedly make America’s roads a safer place, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood issued a full ban on texting while driving any bus or truck. The ban, effective immediately, states that truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750. As the Department of Transportation notice states:
During the September 2009 Distracted Driving Summit, the Secretary announced the Department’s plan to pursue this regulatory action, as well as rulemakings to reduce the risks posed by distracted driving. President Obama also signed an Executive Order directing federal employees not to engage in text messaging while driving government-owned vehicles or with government-owned equipment. Federal employees were required to comply with the ban starting on December 30, 2009.
Texting while driving any vehicle has caused numerous accidents, many of them fatal. Though the exact number of accidents caused by this distraction is not know, numbers are suspected to be high. Back in November, we ran a story on the dangers of texting while driving. At that time, 17 states had banned texting while driving. Now, that number stands at 19. For a complete breakdown of the states that have enforced rules on the use of cell phones while driving, the Governors Highway Safety Association offers the following table:
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so… if you’re distracted by texting while driving, how do you even know if you’re in a school or construction zone? and is there a double penalty for texting while driving in a construction zone that also happens to be IN a school zone?
also, why is this even a debate? eyes on the road, hands at 10 and 2 (or, i think it’s 9 and 3 now, due to airbags). now try to text without deviating from this position. i guess anyone who can text with the toes on their left foot without looking deserves the right to do so… as long as it’s an automatic transmission.
i have an easier way to deal with this – let’s have a nation-wide raise of hands on who disagrees with banning texting while driving and then anyone with their hand down turns to the first person they see with their hand up, punches them in the face, and takes away their keys and license, because they’re morons who shouldn’t be behind the wheel anyway.