US prohibits Truckers and Bus drivers from Texting while driving.

on Tuesday the federal government barred truckers and bus drivers from Texting while driving. The US transportation department feels that this will make people safer on the road. Which heavy rigs and buses are also mounted with on-board computers the department will issue guidelines for this also. Multitasking while driving greatly increases the risk of accidents.

"This is a giant step forward for safety on our roads, but we must do more," Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said of LaHood's action. "We need the administration to support our ban, which does the same thing for cars and mass transit that they are now doing for trucks and buses."

Truckers and bus drivers who violate the rule, which is effective immediately, face civil or criminal fines of up to $2,750.

Many truckers regularly use those computers while driving, even though some companies discourage them from doing so. Research shows that such multitasking greatly increases the risk of a crash.

The department said that it was still working on additional regulations that would govern the use of such computers, as well as when truckers are allowed to use cellphones for conversation.

The federal agency said that it wanted to start by issuing regulations banning texting. The agency said that such a ban represents a reinterpretation of existing safety rules governing interstate truckers and bus drivers but does not mark a wholesale change in such rules.

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