As of January 3, 2012, commercial truck or bus drivers will face civil penalties of up to $2,750, per violation, for using handheld cell phones while operating a vehicle. The new rule, announced in November by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, will include a maximum penalty of $11,000 for companies that permit this behavior. Continue Reading

The latest study exploring the link between cell phone bans and crashes shows that companies with the strictest policies — and consequences — have the best safety records. The results from the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety contradicts a report from the Highway Loss Data Institute released earlier this year that suggested bans on cell phone use led to more accidents. The study — covering 45 companies, 400,000 vehicles and 8 billion miles traveled — found that companies with the lowest crash rates were most likely to have a total ban on talking and texting while behind the wheel and Continue Reading

After numerous studies linking the dangers of distractions and driving, 30 states and the District of Columbia quickly jumped on board with what seemed like the trendy legislation to ban texting behind the wheel. But some groups are question whether those bans have made the roads safer or if enforcing them is even possible. At its recent annual meeting, the Governors Highway Safety Association delayed action on a California proposal urging states to ban all electronic devices, both handheld and hands-free, while driving. Some seven or eight states prohibit the use of phones while driving, but no one has banned their use completely. According to other studies, the bans may have little effect and may even increase the Continue Reading

While the Ontario Trucking Association’s ban on hand-held cell phones, texting and other communications devices while driving follows similar laws in Canada, it aslo includes a first: a ban on Citizen Band Radios (CBs) and similar two-way radios. The provincial government is looking to phase out CBs within the next three years, operating on the expectation that hands-free technologies will be developed in that time to Continue Reading

The lobby group Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety is urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to ban commercial truck drivers from using “unsafe” electronic devices, including those that are wireless or hand-held. The organization seeks to reduce the number of driver distractions, and several recent studies have pointed to cell phones as the key cause. However, other studies indicate Continue Reading