States would be required to prohibit text messaging for all drivers or face a loss of a quarter of their federal highway money, under a U.S. Senate bill introduced by four Democrats. Fourteen states have outlawed text messaging by drivers so far. The so-called ALERT Act gives the other states two years to enact bans on texting for all drivers, with the clock ticking once the federal Transportation Department issues guidelines. The state bans would have to cover all drivers of motor vehicles -- including truckers and school bus drivers -- as well as operators of mass transit systems. "The … [Read more...]
Trucks, texting a deadly mix
July 28, 2009 by 1 Comment
A study of professional truckers indicates that even pros are severely handicapped while text messaging behind the wheel. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute's study found that the truckers were 23 times more likely to get in a wreck while texting. The researchers placed video cameras in the cabs of long-haul trucks over a year and a half period. About 100 truck drivers participated. In the collisions recorded by the cameras, drivers typically looked at their text messaging devices for five seconds before the accident, the New York Times said in reporting on the Virginia Tech texting … [Read more...]
A texting ban in N.Y., finally
July 17, 2009 by Leave a Comment
New York's Senate has approved a ban on text messaging for all drivers, in a vote that was long in coming for a state that was one of the pioneers of cell phone safety behind the wheel. The Senate vote -- which applied to larger legislation concerning teenage driving laws -- was 57-1. The state Assembly's vote of June 17 was unanimous. The New York ban on text messaging by motorists is expected to take effect on Nov. 1, assuming Gov. David Paterson signs it, as expected. The bill originated with his motor vehicle department. The texting legislation had been in limbo due to the state … [Read more...]
A close shave with Ontario cell phone ban
July 9, 2009 by Leave a Comment
Ontario's government ombudsman is taking heat for distracted driving -- because he was busy making a tattle-tale video of an extreme case of distracted driving. Andre Martin, the province watchdog, noticed a driver ahead of him using an electric razor to shave his head. Martin whipped out his iPhone and made a video of the outrage, posting it as an example of how motorists will do just about anything behind a wheel, the Toronto Sun reported. Martin was stopped at a light at the time. Unfortunately for Martin, his actions were in violation of the Ontario's new hands-free law, at least in … [Read more...]
Two years later, no N.Y. texting ban
June 27, 2009 by Leave a Comment
This weekend marks the second anniversary of the horrific crash that killed five teenage girls from the Rochester, N.Y., area. Investigators found that the driver was text messaging just before the girls' SUV collided with a truck. New York's cities and counties have been actively banning text messaging by drivers in the years since the crash. Ontario County, where the teenagers' crash occurred, outlawed texting while driving in April. (July 17 update: A ban on texting while driving has been approved by the Senate and Assembly, and now awaits the governor's signature. It is expected to take … [Read more...]
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