Georgia Injury Law Blog
As Atlanta truck accident attorneyswho have been concerned about the lack of serious restrictions on cell phone use by truck drivers, we were happy with a new Department of Transportation proposal banning the use of handheld cell phones by truck and bus drivers. The banning of cell phones by truck drivers and bus drivers will greatly decrease the likelihood of truck accidents and bus accidents. Personal injury attorneys and lawyers for the trucking and busing companies will closely monitor the new proposal. Simply put, the ban would prevent a significant number of personal injuries and deaths each year.
This week, the DOT made a formal announcement, proposing the ban. The ban would include not just talking on a cell phone, but also holding and dialing a cell phone while driving.The announcement comes just months after a ban on text messaging while driving for both commercial truck and bus drivers earlier this year.
According to the DOT, inattention was a factor in 9% of all commercial truck accidents in 2009. Meanwhile last year, between 6% and 13% of all bus accidents were linked to distracted driving. Obviously, there is a need for a law that would completely ban the use of handheld cell phones and text messaging devices for all commercial truck and bus drivers.
There is another fact that increases the need for a rule like this. Even as there was a decline in overall traffic accident fatalities across the country in 2009, there was actually an increase in the number of fatal accidents linked to cell phone use while driving last year.
The DOT will open up the proposal to comments, before the rule is finalized. Atlanta truck accident lawyers don’t expect much opposition to the rule. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that using a hand-held cell phone while operating a massive 80,000 pound machine, is severely hazardous to public health and safety.