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Texting ban comes into force with immediate effect
by Jamie Anderson - January 27, 2010 - comments
Transportation secretary claims that the wireless industry and telecom operators would be roped in to work with public officials and help enforce restrictions on texting by drivers.
Washington, January 27-- This is something that should have come long back, but for some reason, best known to the lawmakers, it did not see the light of the day. Finally on Tuesday, it did!
U.S. officials have banned sending text messages through handheld devices by the truck and bus drivers who travel interstate roadways.
Endorsed by transport industry
The ban, which comes into force with immediate effect, has been endorsed by the trucking and bus industry and entails fines up to $2,750 for violators.
William P. Graves, president of the American Trucking Association (ATA) said, "We realize that texting on a handheld phone or wireless device while driving substantially elevates the risk of being involved in an accident.”
“ATA does support DOT's action to ban the use of handheld wireless devices by commercial drivers while driving to send or receive text messages," claimed Graves.
The hefty penalties imposed on violators are thus justified given the fact that texting while driving distracts attention from the road and poses a huge threat of life to not only self, but also to passengers and other users of the road.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said of the ban during a morning press conference, "We said the federal government would do everything in its power to send a clear message that texting, talking and driving are potentially lethal activities with very serious consequences."
"Today we are sending a strong message. We don't merely expect you to share the road responsibly with other travelers -- we will require you to do so," LaHood added.
Potentially lethal activity
LaHood’s observations are substantiated by the data that the U.S. Department of Transportation has.
Last year, close to 6,000 people lost their lives and as many as 500,000 people were injured in motor-vehicle accidents that occurred because the driver was unfocused on the road as he was using a texting device, reveals the data.
While the lawmakers have taken the first difficult step of banning texting while driving, they face a more challenging and arduous task, that of enforcing the ban.
LaHood admitted that the enforcement would indeed take some doing, but was optimistic that raising awareness amongst people of the potential hazards of texting while driving would deter drivers from doing so and enable in the implementation of the ban.
President Barack Obama had, in September last year, passed an executive order prohibiting federal employees from using cell phones while driving government-owned vehicles or with government-owned equipment.