For the past few weeks, Driver Solutions has been following news on the recent passing of the hand-held cell phone ban for commercial vehicle drivers. Just like with any legislation, it was easy to anticipate that it would inspire mixed opinions in the trucking industry.
The official ruling, which goes into effect on January 3, 2012, was passed because it’s believed to help reduce the number of distracted-driver related accidents that involve truck drivers. For both commercial drivers, the law is hoped to reduced distractions will equate to reduced both commercial and noncommercial driver injuries and deaths. For trucking and bus companies, fewer accidents could also potentially help them save thousands of dollars in damage fees and insurance costs. Supporters include many individual drivers, trucking companies, and insurance companies.
For those that oppose the ruling, or at least parts of the ruling, three main disagreements seem common.
First, the American Trucking Association and many other trucking companies generally oppose the employer liability provision in the ruling. Under this provision, employers can be fined up to $11,000 if they do not require their drivers to use hands-free devices. The American Trucking Association supported their disagreement to the ruling by saying that drivers often use their own cell phones that aren’t provided by the carrier, plus “drivers are not always under direct supervision, and it would be extremely difficult and, in fact, unrealistic for a carrier to enforce such a requirement.” Trucking companies feel like if they are held accountable for their driver’s actions like this, it can potentially harm the company financially.
A second criticism that trucking companies have with the ruling is that cell-phone use is no more distracting than other types of communications, such as a CB radio which was not banned. Since drivers will still have access to the CB radio and other regularly used electronic equipment, trucking companies are worried that the new ruling will not decrease distracted driving accidents at all.
A third major worry by trucking companies is that this new ruling does not address removing additional distractions from noncommercial drivers which actually make up the majority of cars on the road.
Dan Smith, the safety and security director for USA Truck, a company that Driver Solutions partners with for company sponsored CDL training, agrees that the cell-phone ban will benefit the industry overall but it needs to go even further. Smith brought up a good point that the new ruling is “only hitting a small population of drivers that are already the most heavily trained and heavily regulated drivers on the road.”
Despite the fact that trucking industry support for the new ruling is split, the most important thing for truck drivers and trucking companies to do is to continue to focus on safety. As the ruling goes into effect in just a few weeks, the next question to be answered is how truck company managers and police officers will be able to enforce the new law. Driver Solutions will continue to keep you posted on this ruling and how these changes impact trucking industry.
Source: Cellphone ban for truckers inspires mixed opinions