Recently the U.S. Department of Transportation released a final ruling on the use of cell phones for commercial truck and bus drivers in an effort to cut down on distracted driving.  This new ruling states that all drives operating under a CDL license that are participating in interstate freight or bus transportation will be banned from using a cell phone while driving.  Only hands free devices that require a “one-touch” answer or call feature will be allowed.  This includes a ban on using the push-to-talk feature, where a button has to be continuously held down like a walkie talkie. 

 Commercial Auto Insurance  companies are paying attention to this new law, they are hoping it will bring claim rations down for the commercial trucking industry.  According the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) dialing a cell phone makes a commercial drive 6 times more likely to be involved in a crash or accident.  The ban will allow drivers to focus completely on driving and all the complexities that are involved with driving their vehicle.

In 2009 alone 5,474 people were killed in distracted related accidents, constituting 16% of all driving related deaths.   Operators who violate this new law will be facing fines up to $2,750 for a first offence, and a loss of CDL license after repeated offences.  This truly is a public safety issue for the drivers of these vehicles and for the other drivers on the road. 

If you have any questions regarding this new law you can read put out by the Department of Transportation.  If you are a Commercial Auto Insurance holder and have questions regarding this new law and how it will affect your business, please feel free to give us a call to discuss.