What do Oprah, the US Secretary of Transportation, the Auto Club, insurance companies and, state governors have in common?
The US Department of Transportation just proposed to forbid text messaging at the wheel by interstate truck and bus drivers. This regulatory action follows up on Transportation Department public service program to lessen the number of distractions that cause crashes.
The plan would make permanent the temporary ban put in place at the beginning of the calendar year by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The proposed ban applies to bus drivers and truck drivers operating vehicles with a gross vehicle weight over five tons. To give an idea of the serious nature of the problem, violators could face civil penalities and/or even criminal penalties.
The US Transportation Department reported that 5,870 people were killed and over a half million were injured in 2008 in accidents connected to driver distraction. The department didn’t speculate how many of those deaths and injuries involved mobile phone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration echoes the Transportation Department estimates with projection that about eighty percent of accidents are caused by distracted drivers. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is sponsoring research to find out the extent of the distracted driver problem. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reports that driver inattention is a leading factor in many crashes, and cell phone calls and texting are leading causes of driver distractions.
States aren’t waiting for data and are passing new laws dealing with mobile phone calls and texting . The GHSA reports that currently 20 states and the District of Columbia outlaw all drivers from sending text messages while driving. Another nine states prohibiting texting by beginner drivers. Most states are expected to implement the ban eventually. However it is also widely recognized that the laws are not enough to stop the problem and technical solutions are neede. The GHSA says it supports texting bans for all drivers, but has doubts about enforcement.
A leading source of a potential solution is Phone Beagle. PhoneBeagle is installed on Android and BlackBerry cell phones and monitors GPS location, and text messages along with other call log activity.
The trucking and passenger bus industries support the texting prohibition, and many corporations have enforced policies against sending text messages when driving. The government, industry and safety organizations all agree that driver distraction caused bysending text messages is a menace to society, and is worthy of action. Advocates for addressing the problem also include celebrity Oprah Winfrey.
The issue is emerging as a new phenomenon. As navigation systems, cell phones and other mobile electronics have become ubiquitous in cars and trucks, safety advocates and the government have pushed for restrictions.
As legislation and technology develop to solve the problems a software package from Phone Beagle is available to help deal with monitoring phone use. PhoneBeagle installs on Android and BlackBerry smartphones and monitors GPS location, and text messages along with other phone log events.