A driver talks on a cell phone while driving in Boston. The federal government on Tuesday banned cell phone use by truckers while they are driving.A new federal rule that bans truckers and bus drivers from using handheld cellphones took effect Tuesday, triggering the prospect of thousands of dollars in fines for drivers caught using their mobile phones.
The ban announced in late November calls for penalties of up to $2,750 against drivers caught talking on their handheld phones, and fines as high as $11,000 against their employers.
“When drivers of large trucks, buses and hazardous materials take their eyes off the road for even a few seconds, the outcome can be deadly,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said its rule is designed to cut back on distracted driving, which caused nearly 5,500 deaths and 500,000 injuries in 2009 — even though the agency admitted that studies to determine the culpability of cellphones in those accidents “have produced mixed results.”
“It is not clear if simply talking on a mobile telephone presents a significant risk,” the agency conceded, though it maintained that reaching for a cellphone or dialing a number could represent “risk-increasing tasks.”