Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85420
logbook (Continued from Page 18) Safety board urges total cell phone use ban The National Transportation Safety Board recommended banning all U.S. drivers from using mobile phones or sending text messages, even with headsets or portable speakers, to prevent distracted-driving crashes. Systems built into cars and global positioning systems wouldn't be affected nor would passengers. Phones could be used to call 911. NTSB announced its recommenda- tion during a hearing detailing its investigation into an August 2010 crash in Gray Summit, Mo., in which a 19-year-old pickup driver sent or received 11 text messages in 13 minutes before hitting the rear of a tractor-trailer. Two school buses collided with the stopped trucks. The pickup driver and one bus passenger were killed, and the truck driver and 37 other people were injured. NTSB's recommendation would have to be adopted separately by each state since states have authority over driver behavior. States should adopt electronic-device bans and support the laws with aggressive enforcement like they have with seatbelt use and drunk driving, NTSB Chair Deborah Hersman said. Fatal accidents caused by distracted operators have increased in all modes of transportation, including trucks, planes, trains, boats, buses and private cars and trucks, Hersman said. The use of phones by operators is so prevalent that securing call records and the devices themselves is one of the first steps investigators now take after accidents, she said. NTSB called for a total ban on mobile phones for truck and bus drivers in September. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration banned handheld cell phones for interstate truck and bus drivers last month and banned texting in January 2010. — Staff reports SHORT HAULS TEN TRUCKER FAMILIES from the United States and Canada received $700 each in this year's Trucker Charity Christmas Group fundraiser. The 10 families were selected from among 23 nominations. Since the all-volunteer Christmas group was formed in 2008, more than $37,000 has been raised and distributed to 59 needy trucking families. The money is donated by drivers and others in the industry. 54 OVERDRIVE FEBRUARY 2012 TRUCKING OPPORTUNITIES Circle 111 on Reader Service Card or visit overdrive.hotims.com