Obama ban on texting while driving takes effect
January 5, 2010 by Fred HosierPosted in: cell phones and safety, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Transportation safety
PDF More than 3 million employees aren’t allowed to text or use hand-held phones while driving for business now that a federal order has taken effect.
President Obama’s ban allows federal workers to use cell phones while driving if they have hands-free devices. There are also exemptions for certain law enforcement and national security employees.
Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood has called on businesses to lead through example by enacting employee policies for cell phone use while driving for work purposes. In a recent speech to the American Chamber of Commerce Executive Board, LaHood said, “Don’t send text, don’t use your cell phone, your iPod, or your Blackberry when you’re behind the wheel.”
The DOT has also just launched Distraction.gov, a Web site that pulls together all of the federal government’s information on distracted driving.
LaHood says the government is using every tool at its disposal, including technology and the rule-making process, to get a handle on the problem of using cell phones while driving.
What is the best way for the government to address this issue? Should it encourage use of technology that would make it impossible (or at least difficult) to use a cell phone while driving? Or should laws be enacted to make it a crime? Let us know what you think in the Comments Box below.
SafetyNewsAlert.com delivers the latest Safety news once a week to the inboxes of over 270,000 Safety professionals.
Click here to sign up and start your FREE subscription to SafetyNewsAlert!
Tags: ban on texting, cell phones, Department of Transportation, hands-free device, President Obama
Loading ...
January 7th, 2010 at 1:20 am
Both sets of circumstances (Text Ban while driving and a possible text ban while walking) already are in direct violation to several existing federal laws. These state bans passed as laws are already rendered illegal due to not being in direct compliance to federal laws since voice calls via “Hands-Free” is allowed. This renders an inaccessible accommodations violation.
Such a ban on texting cannot be implemented without a total ban on voice communication because people with disabilities who use texting as an accessible accommodation in both personal and professional communication due to laws such as the ADA, Telecommunications Act of 1996, Telephone Act of 1934, etc.
Those who cannot use voice due to disability use text messaging, instant messaging, and emailing as their alternative accommodation.
Such bans were done in past history such as the Milan Conference of 1880 where they banned sign language and triggering the Eugenics War against Deaf and Hard of Hearing people were done. During the war, the hearing population purposefully separated Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals from marrying each other in attempt to extinguish the disability. This is no different than Hitler who had six million Jews killed during World War II.
A national Class Action lawsuit against the US Government is in consideration due to current bans in 19 states (so far) that directly violate federal law. This is to attempt to prevent Eugenics War II in our country.
Source: http://deafness.about.com/cs/featurearticles/a/milan1880.htm
January 12th, 2010 at 9:27 am
To ‘An Achillies….’ So sorry to disagree, I am very sympathetic to the needs of the disabled to use other forms of communication. However, pull your car over and text. You are risking your life and the lives of others if you continue to drive distracted (and it IS distracting) - no matter WHAT is distracting you!
January 12th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
I agree, Cheryl! No one should be doing anything while driving that distracts them from the task at hand………DRIVING. And that applies to every driver no matter the circumstances. A driver cannot possibly be typing or reading a text message and be paying proper attention to what is going on in traffic, no matter how great of a multi-tasker you are.
January 12th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
I think it should be handled as most all other potential driving impairments are handled now - through laws and legal enforcement. If we are going to implement technology solutions, then we need to do it for the other issues as well.
As for “Achillies” comments, I totally disagree with your assessment. According to your logic my husband should sue the state for taking away his driving privileges after he went blind last year. They aren’t picking on him for being blind, just protecting him and the public from an obvious danger his driving would cause. The same is true for anyone who tries to text (or read the newspaper) while driving. You cannot possibly read and drive safely at the same time - no matter who you are!
January 13th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Hello, Everybody
I thank you for your comments and I am glad that you brought that up. The reason for my posting was not to actually undermine safety… but to bring to the attention that individual rights are already being violated.
Yes, I do agree that texting and driving should NOT be allowed… but if the law is to be following as current federal laws state, then the ban has to apply to ALL Drivers of every walk of life… not just banning a segment of population and allowing others to do so.
To clarify: The state of Illinois is already talking about a Text Message ban while walking! When you think about it, where does the curtailing of individual rights end? Does this mean my wife, who is hearing, can walk and talk on her phone… but if I walk down a street with her and text.. Im breaking the law?
That is where I am going with this issue… the country has to decide that if they initiate a ban.. it has to apply equally and with the protection of ALL rights… not just some and dismissing others.
Hope this helps.