Distracted Driving is Dangerous Driving

That is the Premise and Reasoning for the Recent Nationwide Ban of All Cell Phones for Commercial Motor Vehicles.  According to Transport Topics, Most Carriers are Not Happy with the Current Ban.   Most Agree About the Dangers of Driving and Texting, and Driving Without a Hand Free Device, But They Feel it is a Bit Excessive to Regulate all Cell Phone Usage.

Now the NTSB is Suggesting That All Cell Phone Usage, Including Hands Free Devices Be Banned for CMV’s.  This Poses Logistical Issues on Regulating This Ban as A Fair Amount of Companies Let Drivers Use Their Own Personal Cell Phones and Can Not Access Their Phone Records Without The Drivers Consent.

For Most, This is a Frustrating Issue.  Commercial Drivers Are Being Targeted First in This Cell Phone Ban, Including Hands Free, Before Civilian Drivers, With Worse Driving Records.  Most Carriers Are Making and Have Made Concerted Efforts Before the Ban Even Came Into Place to Reduce The Amount of Distracted Drivers.  The Laws Now Increase That Effort Due to Fines and Loss of Licenses Are in Effect.  While Most Don’t Have an Issue With Ending Up With a Nationwide Cell Phone Ban of This Nature, They Feel Like They Are Being Targeted Before the Bigger Problem.

Safety First

Regardless of the Profiling Concerns, None Can Deny it is Safer to be Off a Cell Phone While Driving and it Reduces Driver Distraction.  At Prime Trailer Leasing, Our Drivers Use a Nextel Radio to Communicate to One Another and Are Hands Free When on the Phone.  We Have Been Operating Under Those Standards for the Last Few Years Because Our Drivers Safety and The Safety of Others is of Upmost Importance to Us.  Whatever Comes Down the Road on This Ruling, We Will Stand Behind it Because Safety Comes First.  We All Operated Before Without Cell Phones on the Road, We Can Learn to Do it Again.