NTSB Calls for Cell Phone Use Ban on Truck Drivers
On September 13, 2011, the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) issued a new safety recommendation to the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration banning the use of cell phones for interstate motor carriers. The recommendation is as follows:
Prohibit the use of both handheld and hands-free cellular telephones by all commercial driver's license holders while driving in commercial operations, except in emergencies.
The recommendation came about in part as the NTSB investigated a terrible semi-truck crash in which the truck driver had made 69 calls or text messages in the 24 hours leading up to the collision. The driver had also made four calls in the minutes leading up to the crash, with the last call made at the time of the crash.
The NTSB chairperson, Deborah A.P. Hersman, said the following:
Distracted driving is becoming increasingly prevalent, exacerbating the danger we encounter daily on our roadways. It can be especially lethal when the distracted driver is at the wheel of a vehicle that weighs 40 tons and travels at highway speeds.
The recommendation has been a long time coming and the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration should act quickly to make the recommendation law.
IF THERE IS GOING TO BE A RULE IT SHOULD BE FOR ALL DRIVERS NOT TO USE CELL PHONES THERE IS NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DRIVING A SEMI TRUCK OR A CAR TALKING ON A CELL PHONE ITS DANGEROUS EITHER WAY AND KILLS JUST AS MANY PEOPLE. CAN LAW ENFORCEMENT ENFORCE IT NO SAD BUT TRUE