Feds Follow States on Texting Ban
U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced last week a federal guidance to expressly prohibit texting by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses. The prohibition is effective immediately and is the latest in a series of actions taken by the Department to combat distracted driving since the Secretary convened a national summit on the issue last September.
The ban is the result of the Department's interpretation of standing rules. Truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles may be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.
FMCSA research shows that drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting. At 55 miles per hour, this means that the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road. The risk of a texting driver having an accident is more than 20 times greater than that for non-distracted drivers. Because of the safety risks associated with the use of electronic devices while driving, FMCSA is also working on additional regulatory measures that will be announced in the coming months.
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.
Colorado's ban on texting while driving took effect in December 2009. It is illegal for drivers to text, e-mail or tweet behind the wheel. Violators risk a $50 fine and repeat offenders could get a $100 ticket.
Colorado's law also bars those under 18 from talking on their cell phones while driving. According to AAA, 18 other states and the District of Columbia have passed texting-while-driving laws. A national survey by the organization found that 95 percent of drivers disapproved of texting behind the wheel but that 18 percent of them admitted to texting or e-mailing while driving in the past month.
Aurora police in January cited a 19-year-old Denver woman under the state's new texting ban, marking the first time in Aurora -- and likely Colorado -- officers have enforced the new law on texting while driving. According to police reports, an Aurora police officer cited the woman after she crashed her car into a median or curb near Tower Road and Interstate 70 on January 3. The woman later admitted to police she crashed because she was texting and police cited her under the new law.