Truckers and bus drivers have been barred from text messaging on the job, following announcement of a federal ban on the practice. "We know that a commercial truck or bus driven by someone texting is a lethal weapon," says U.S. Transportation chief Ray LaHood. The ban -- which includes the use of handheld cell phones for texting -- officially comes from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It applies to interstate truck drivers and commercial bus or van drivers who carry more than eight passengers. Penalties for texting and driving for truckers will be up to $2,750. Hood, who … [Read more...]
Oprah’s ‘No Phone Zone’ campaign
January 15, 2010 by 34 Comments
Oprah wants her viewers to know "how absolutely stupid it is that we continue to text and drive." The TV talk titan devoted Monday's show to distracted driving, with appearances by people who have lost loved ones to someone using a handheld cell phone or text messaging. Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions said the show's effort against distracted driving would be called the "No Phone Zone" campaign. Fans are asked to pledge not to use cell phones while driving. Update: "We need to make our own movement to stop (cell phoning and text messaging while driving)," Winfrey told her audience. "Don't … [Read more...]
FocusDriven: support for cell phone victims
January 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Born of personal tragedies, a group that fights the use of cell phones while driving has been launched with the help of the National Safety Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation. FocusDriven describes itself as "an advocacy group for victims of motor vehicle crashes involving drivers using cell phones." The founders (pictured) all lost family members to crashes caused by drivers who were distracted by their cell phones. The group's mission recalls that of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. They include president Jennifer Smith, who lost her mother to a distracted driver in Oklahoma … [Read more...]
‘Name and shame’ cell phone violators
January 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Steady, cell phone chatterers. The Essex Chronicle in England has decided to "name and shame" drivers who are violating traffic laws by using mobile phones behind the wheel. A reporter accompanied local police as they cited drivers for chatting and texting while motoring. The newspaper then printed the perps' names and photos. The unusual tactic sometimes is used by the media to humiliate prostitutes' johns, but the cell phone suspects didn't seem all that repentant. "I don't like people telling me how to live my life," said second-time offender Gemma Dean. When asked if she felt like she … [Read more...]
New year, new distracted driving laws
January 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment
A handful of distracted driving laws went into effect on Jan. 1, 2010, seeking to rein in drivers who yap on cell phones and send text messages while behind the wheel. The vast majority of distracted driving legislation went nowhere in 2009 -- surprising for a year in which so much publicity was generated over the issue -- but a handful of states got past the debates and took their safety concerns to the streets. The focus now moves from the legislatures to the law enforcement agencies, where enforcement could be spotty. In Illinois, text messaging is now illegal for all drivers. Fines are … [Read more...]
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