The Cost Of Truckers Texting Is Too High

AP, U.S. Proposes Permanent Ban on Commercial Drivers’ Texting

The Transportation Department proposed on Wednesday to make permanent a ban on text-messaging by drivers of commercial trucks and buses.

The plan, which was announced on an interim basis in January by the Transportation secretary, Ray LaHood, would apply to drivers of interstate buses and trucks over 10,000 pounds.

The proposal “keeps our commitment to making our roads safer by reducing the threat of distracted driving,” said Mr. LaHood, who has campaigned against text-messaging and talking on cellphones while driving.

As navigation systems, cellphones and mobile electronics have become prevalent in cars and trucks, safety advocates and the government have pushed for restrictions. The Transportation Department reports that 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 injured in 2008 in crashes connected to driver distraction, often involving mobile devices or cellphones.[emphasis mine]

[…]

Twenty states and the District of Columbia already prohibit all drivers from text-messaging behind the wheel, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. An additional nine states restrict text-messaging by novice drivers.

Research by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration showed that drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while text-messaging. At 55 miles a hour, that means the driver is traveling the length of a football field without looking at the road.

515,000 injuries and 5000+ deaths is too high. However, the research donesn’t really break out texting, and they seem to simply assume that the majority of the distraction is texting. I think they should make doing anything while driving illegal, like fooling with the radio, changing CDs, putting on makeup, or eating. And not just for truckers.