The U.S. Department of Transportation has made a large step in helping to curb distracted driving by officially banning texting behind the wheel of commercial vehicles and vehicles that weigh more than 10,000 pounds.  According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, (www.distraction.gov) there are three types of distracted driving:  1. Visual (taking your eyes off the road), 2.  Manual (taking your hands off the wheel), 3. Cognitive (taking your mind off of what you are doing).  Cell-phone texting is a particularly alarming activity because it combines all three types of distractions.  According to a Virginia Tech Transportation Institiute study, when truckers text they are more than 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident or a close call.  Rules to reduce distracted driving were on the National Transportation Safety Board's 2009 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements.  It specifically wants the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to "prohibit cellular telephone use by commercial drivers of school buses and motorcoaches, except in emergencies."

Many safety experts point out that while the ban on texting is a good first step, there are enormous barriers to effective enforcement.  According to Russ Rader of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, "It's not clear this is going to make any difference on the raod in terms of crashes."  When truckers are caught texting, they will face heavy fines of up to $2,750.  "This is a giant step forward for safety on our roads, but we must do more," Sen Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said of the DOT's action.  "We need the [presidential] administration to support our ban, which does the same thing for cars and mass transit that they are now doing for trucks and buses."

Burton & Associates has successfully litigated cases against trucking companies in accidents involving distracted and fatigued drivers, as well as many other issues.  If you have a case involving semi-trucks or other commercial vehicles, call our office to discuss your rights and how we can assist you.