Truck Accident Lawyer News

WASHINGTON D.C. – On Tuesday, January 26, 2010 the U.S. Department of Transportation  (DOT) announced that, effective immediately, sending text messages while driving is now illegal for commercial truckers and bus drivers. The department said that truck drivers and bus drivers who engage in the practice of texting while behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.

Big rig trucks and buses traveling on US roads are banned from texting

Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood said, “We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe,” and that this was an “important safety step.” He stated further that the DOT would be taking more steps to “eliminate the threat of distracted driving.”…

The ban is embraced by many large trucking and transportation companies but at the same time some see this announcement as a step that may ultimately lead to an effort to ban cellphone use by all drivers.

The announcement by the DOT comes on the heels of a study by Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute released earlier in July, 2009. The study found that truckers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or near miss when they text.

Although 19 states have banned texting while driving, Congress is considering new laws restricting the practice. LaHood pointed out that existing rules on truckers and bus drivers already give him the authority to issue the prohibition. He warned that drivers of commercial vehicle who violate the ban could face a fine of up to $2,750.

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