There is no reason that drivers should be allowed to put others in danger by text messaging and emailing while driving. The act takes a driver’s physical and mental attention away from the road, and it doesn’t take a survey to realize that this causes more accidents. Thankfully, people seem to realize this. A large majority favors bans on texting and driving — even though it appears that more than 20 percent have done it. We know that there is legislation on the table, and we’re finally seeing regulators seriously examining the issue. First up, though, are commercial drivers. Many industry groups support varying levels of cell phone bans for bus and truck drivers.
Both the American Trucking Associations and the American Bus Association appear to favor certain restrictions on their drivers. The ABA says that they do not oppose a ban, and the ATA wants to see the specific language before adopting a favorable stance, but does thing that there should be “some policies and regulations on [cell phones] to prevent their misuse.” Truck and bus drivers often see the tightest restrictions as motorists, because they are entrusted with large and dangerous machines and, in the case of buses, many people.
At least one automobile groups has come out in favor of federal regulations for cell phone use by all drivers. The Alliance of Auto Manufacturers support a ban messaging or calling on a handheld device. In addition, the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety support the ban on professional drivers’ use of cell phones while working. If they really advocated highway and auto safety, they’d support an across the board texting ban.
Because there are so many bodies involved, this might seem like a complicated issue. It is not. Text messaging while driving causes distractions that make it unsafe not only for the perpetrator, but for those around him. There is no reason that this act should be allowed in a conscientious society.
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