New Rule Bans Truckers from Text Messaging While Driving
A new rule which goes into immediate effect, bans commercial truck drivers and bus drivers from sending and receiving text messages while driving. The new rule was announced by the Department of Transportation this week, and aims to cut down on the risk of accidents from truck drivers distracted by texting at the wheel.
The ban is a part of efforts by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to deal with the problem of distracted driving. . Secretary LaHood has taken up the issue with great enthusiasm, and has been responsible for a number of recent steps that aim to eliminate these risks.
As a Monmouth County truck accident lawyer, I find this new rule very encouraging and a great start to dealing with the problem of distracted driving. . But the fact is that there are other factors that need to be dealt with as far as truck safety is concerned. Truck drivers continue to be at risk from the use of computers that they use to receive instructions from their main offices. A trucker is prohibited from using these computers while the truck is in operation. However, use of these computers while the rig is in motion happens more often than we like to think about.
Last year, a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute measured the risk of accidents from text messaging by truck drivers, and found that the risk increased by up to 23 times. The Virginia Tech study also measured the effect of distraction from the computers in the cabs, and found that these increased the risk of an accident by up to 10 times. The Department of Transportation has said that it will take up the issue of the use of computers in commercial trucks very soon.
Scott Grossman is a Monmouth County truck accident lawyer, representing injured victims of truck, tractor trailer and semi truck accidents in Freehold, Howell, Aberdeen, Marlboro and across Monmouth County and the state of New Jersey.
