Federal Safety Rules Aimed at Distracted Driving by Truckers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the entity responsible for promoting the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles (CMV’s) and reducing the number and severity of crashes. In 2009 the FMCSA released crash data that showed that 4808 highway fatalities involved large trucks. These numbers, although lower than previous years, remain high due to the factor of distracted driving among CMV drivers. Restrictions were introduced jointly by the FMCSA and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in 2010. The new set of rules was designed specifically to prohibit the use of hand held mobile devices for talking and texting by interstate truck [...]