We’re proud of the work that our drivers do to promote safety company-wide, and throughout our industry, but distracted driving is a concern for everyone on the road. Some state traffic officials recently noted that twenty percent of motor vehicle accidents are caused by distracted driving. This is part of a disturbing national trend, and an important issue to focus on as April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
In January 2010, FMCSA banned texting by drivers of commercial vehicles, including trucks and buses. FMCSA has also proposed prohibiting commercial drivers from reaching for, holding or dialing a cell phone while operating a commercial motor vehicle. Drivers who violate these restrictions would face federal civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense and disqualification of their commercial driver's license (CDL) for multiple offenses. Additionally, states would suspend a driver's CDL after two or more violations of any state law on hand-held cell phone use.
In addition to being a violation of Federal and State Regulations, non-compliance is considered a major NTB policy violation. Thank you all for complying with this regulation and making the roads a safer place.