The US Transportation Department recently presented a proposal to ban text messaging while driving by cross-state truck and bus drivers. This regulatory action follows up on Transportation Department call to lessen the number of distracted drivers that cause accidents.
The proposal would make permanent the temporary ban put in place in January by the Transportation Secretary. The planned ban applies to bus drivers and truck drivers operating vehicles with a gross vehicle weight over ten thousand pounds. As an indication of the scope of the issue, the drivers could face civil penalties and/or even criminal penalties.
The United States Department of Transportation reported almost 6,000 people died and over a half million were injured in 2008 in accidents connected to driver distraction. The department has not determined how many of those accidents involved mobile phone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reflects the Transportation Department statistics with projection that about eighty percent of crashes are caused by distracted drivers. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is funding research to determine the extent of the distraction issue. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reports that driver inattention is a leading factor in many crashes, and cell phone calls and texting are leading causes of driver distractions.
State legislatures have responded to the growing concern regarding cell phone calls and sending text messages while driving by passing a range of new laws, inclucing banning handheld mobile phone use or texting by all drivers or restricting mobile phone use or sending text messages for a specific demographic, such as teens or school bus drivers. The Governors Highway Safety Association reports that twenty states plus Washington DC prohibit drivers of all types of vehicles from texting while driving. An additional nine states against texting by novice drivers. The remaining states are expected to implement the ban eventually. But it is also widely recognized that the laws are not enough to stop the problem and technology is neede. The Governors Highway Safety Association says it supports texting bans for all drivers, but does have concerns about enforcement.
A leading source of a potential solution is Phone Monitoring and Tracking Apps. Their software installs on Android and BlackBerry mobile phones and monitors GPS location, and text messages along with other call log activity.
The trucking and passenger bus trade associations support the text message prohibition, and many companies have explicit policies prohibiting sending text messages when behind the wheel. The government, industry and safety organizations all agree that driver distraction caused bysending text messages is a menace to society, and deserves action. Advocates for dealing with the problem also include media powerhouse Oprah Winfrey.
The issue is emerging as a new phenomenon. As navigation systems, cellphones and other mobile electronics have become ubiquitous in cars and trucks, safety advocates and the government have pushed for restrictions.
As regulations and technology develop to solve the issues a software package from Phone Monitoring and Tracking Apps is available to help deal with monitoring phone use. Their software is installed on Android and BlackBerry smartphones and monitors GPS location, and text messages along with other call log activity.
What do Oprah, the US Secretary of Transportation, the Auto Club, insurance companies and, state and federal legislators have in common?
