Last January, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a ban on truckers texting while driving. At the time of the announcement, it was only a regulatory guideline and not yet an official FMCSA rule. That changed at the end of October when a final rule banning texting by truck drivers took permanent effect.
The final rule specifically targets texting, not just talking, as studies have shown it to impair attention far more and thus making it more likely to result in a serious injury accident. Studues show texting results in crash rate 23 times higher than focused, undistracted driving.
The ban comes at a time when text messaging has exploded as a means of communication. The total number of text messages sent last year was 22 times higher than it was just four years ago.
