Proposed Rule To Ban Hand-Held Cell Phone Use for Commercial Trucks

As part of its campaign to put an end to the practice of distracted driving, the U.S. Department of Transportation last month proposed a new safety regulation that would specifically prohibit interstate commercial truck drivers from using hand-held cell phones while operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV).

The proposed Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule would prohibit commercial drivers from reaching for, holding or dialing a cell phone while operating a CMV. Drivers who violate these restrictions would face federal civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense and disqualification of their commercial driver’s license (CDL) for multiple offenses. Additionally, states would suspend a driver’s CDL after two or more violations of any state law on hand-held cell phone use.

Motor carriers that allow their drivers to use hand-held cell phones while driving would face a maximum penalty of $11,000. Approximately four million interstate commercial drivers would be affected by this proposal.

Nearly 5,500 people died and half a million were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2009. Distraction-related fatalities represented 16% of overall traffic fatalities in 2009, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research.

To learn more go to distraction.gov. ◆