Thousands of fatal and serious injury car accidents in the United States are caused by distracted drivers. And when these distracted drivers operate large vehicles such as big-rigs or buses, the danger multiplies because there is the potential for a large number of victims. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is now proposing a federal rule that would specifically ban texting by interstate commercial truck and bus drivers. According to a news report in Consumeraffairs.com, DOT has announced an e-Rulemaking Initiative with Cornell University.

This basically creates an online public participation environment where people can learn about and discuss proposed federal rules, and provide feedback to the government. Citizens can comment on this proposed texting ban online over the next month. Late last year, federal officials announced their plans for such a federal rule that bans texting by truck drivers. The proposed rule will make permanent an interim ban that was announced in January.

New Federal Rule

This distracted driving rule for truckers and bus drivers has been a long time coming. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for about 4.6 seconds. If you are traveling at 55 mph and texting, you are traveling the entire length of a football field with your eyes off the road. Now, if you can imagine an unmanned 80,000-pound tractor-trailer barreling down the roadway, that's what we're talking about here!

Driver distractions are the leading cause of numerous California car accidents and near crashes, according to a recent study released by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). The study states that 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involve some form of driver distraction. In a majority of these incidents, the distraction occurs within three seconds of the motor vehicle crash.

A Lesson to be Learned

In fact, that is exactly what occurred in the Chatsworth Metrolink train accident, where a train engineer took his train right through a red light because he was texting seconds before the accident. That catastrophic crash, which killed 25 people and injured more than 150 people, prompted Metrolink to put surveillance cameras in its train cabs to monitor the actions of its engineers and conductors on the job.

Distracted driving is a menace. If you must use your cell phone or text, please do not drive. Distracted driving is not very different from driving under the influence. We need to develop a similar sensitivity to distracted driving. We need to educate ourselves, and our children, about the dangers of distracted driving and then, lead by example.