For all the attention texting while driving has gotten lately, including talk show maven Oprah Winfrey's campaign to stop drivers from using personal electronics in general, you might assume truck drivers would have better sense.
But then again, commercial truckers spend most of their lives behind the wheel and may be more tempted than the rest of us.
Effective immediately, drivers of commercial trucks and buses in the United States are prohibited from texting while driving (Refrigerated Transporter). US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced the new federal guidelines at a conference on distracted driving earlier this week.
LaHood outlined the new rules, violation of which are "subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750," in a press release (US DOT):
"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 [steps] to eliminate the threat of distracted driving."
Drivers who also read and send text messages take their eyes off the road an average of 4.6 seconds (enough time to cover the length of a football field if traveling 55 mph) out of every six seconds, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
But since it's really difficult to see into the cab of big rigs, which are much higher off the ground than police cruisers, how will this new regulation will be enforced? Police have a similar challenge with other laws banning texting while driving.
But unlike, say, a 2630-pound Honda Civic, the maximum allowed weight of an 18-wheeler (truck plus payload) is 80,000 pounds. So the stakes are higher.
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Secretary Ray LaHood's Comments from Distracted Driving Press Event (US DOT)
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Chicago DUI Attorneys (FindLaw)
