All cell phone use by all commercial drivers should be prohibited, the NTSB has recommended. National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Deborah Hersman called tractor-trailer rigs "80,000-pound unguided missiles" when their drivers are distracted by cell phone use. The U.S. Department of Transportation already is working on a plan to prohibit interstate commercial truck and bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones. Text messaging by interstate truckers already is prohibited. The NTSB pointed to a horrific 2010 crash near Munfordville, Ky., in which the driver of an 18-wheeler … [Read more...]
SB 28 vetoed in California
September 7, 2011 by 1 Comment
California's governor has vetoed a plan to double fines for distracted driving violations, saying he was not interested in "ratcheting up the penalties as prescribed by this bill." The legislation was Senate Bill 28, approved by the state House and Senate, and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown on Aug. 15. The bill's author, Sen. Joe Simitian, said the veto resulted in "a lost opportunity to save more lives." Brown wrote in his veto message: "For people of ordinary means, current fines and penalty assessments should be sufficient deterrent." Under the Simitian plan, fines for using handheld cell … [Read more...]
Alberta DD law now in effect
August 26, 2011 by 3 Comments
Alberta took its time installing a distracted driving law -- it's the eighth Canadian province to do so -- but the new rules clearly are among the most comprehensive in North America. The new Alberta distracted driving law went into effect next Thursday, Sept. 1. The fine is $172 (total). (This post updated Sept. 1) In addition to banning text messaging, emailing and the use of handheld cell phones for drivers, the law prohibits other use various other handheld electronic communications devices, grooming, non-commercial use of CB radios, GPS data entry, writing, drawing, sketching, reading … [Read more...]
In N.Y., texting a primary offense
July 12, 2011 by 3 Comments
New York means business with violators of its texting and driving law: The governor signed legislation giving primary enforcement status to the offense. That means law officers can stop and cite offenders of the state's electronic distracted driving laws. Handheld cell phone use already carries primary enforcement status in New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo also said he would order the DMV to carry out his plan to assess a third point against the drivers licenses of texting and handheld cell phone violators. "It's plain and simple: Distracted driving leads to tragedies that have affected families … [Read more...]
DOT vs. GHSA on cell bans
July 12, 2011 by 2 Comments
Days after a group of state highway safety officials urged a halt to new handheld cell phone legislation, the federal DOT is out with its own study indicating that distracted driving bans can indeed work. The U.S. Transportation Department said July 11 that two local crackdowns on handheld cell phone use and text messaging while driving -- in Syracuse, N.Y., and Hartford, Ct. -- resulted in significant drops in those distracted driving behaviors. "It is crystal clear that those who try to minimize this dangerous behavior are making a serious error in judgment, especially when half a … [Read more...]
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