According to news sources, a ruling made by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently will soon take effect on January 3, 2012 and reportedly prohibit the use of hand held cell phone devices by commercial drivers while operating trucks.
The new law stipulates that commercial truck drivers will face disciplinary actions if they operate a truck with one hand with the other holding a cell phone device. Each offense will now be added as a traffic violation, meaning that if a single driver incurs several then their drivers license may be revoked. Each offense may result in a federal civil penalty up to $2,750.
The new law would also fine bus and commercial truck companies that allow their drivers to remain using hand held devices while behind the wheel.
An earlier ruling in September 2010 banned commercial truck drivers from texting while driving.
As a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, I have seen many instances of distracted driving cause severe devastation both to those who participate in activities such as texting while driving, as well as those who are victims of crashes caused by distracted drivers. As a truck accident attorney Los Angeles, I hope that the conclusions of this research will lead to safer roads.
