My company has banned ANY cell phone usage while driving.

Well, I (and I'm sure most of us) have been nearly run off the road who weren't talking on the phone. A moron (4 wheeler) tried to run me off the road last week on FT Lewis while singing along with his music. * for further amusement, I was driving an Atlas, a 10 ton forklift* Some folks don't have the mental capacity (or attention span) to handle basic tasks much less complicated ones. Unfortunately, they are dumbing it down to the least of us.

 

I'll never buy into the notion that a hands free device makes you drive badly...However, There are many drivers out here that have no business driving a truck...Period!

They don't have the apptitude and, would be dangerous with their full concentration on driving.
Interestingly enough, These seem to be the same fools that have their laptop on a stand next to them, a GPS on the dash and the phone mashed against their ear every time you see them while they weave all over the road oblivious to the fact that they are a road hazard!

 

Thats exactly correct. there needs to be an attention test of some sort. I've seen people driving down the road in Toyotas singing and dancing and crossing 4 lanes of traffic without a clue. but I don't see them passing a law against 4 wheelers with all of the big wigs in politics having it built into their 100 grand Mercedes

 

My best, or worst story was almost being run off the road by a guy having an argument with the person in the passenger seat, they were both either deaf or mute, and the driver was signing with both hands! And the car was on autopilot, that didn't steer so good.

 

Commercial Driver Cell Phone Use
"ATRI is currently working with FMCSA and other partners to collect and analyze data from motor carriers and commercial drivers related to cell phones/smart phones usage in the trucking industry. The research will provide insight into the circumstances, conditions and frequency in which cell phones are used by commercial drivers."

This is from American Transportation Research Institute's "Current Research". Who knows when the research will be completed and submitted to FMCSA for consideration. If you go to ATRI's site, you'll see that a lot of their past research results have/or seem to have influenced FMCSA policy. The same is true for Volpe, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and to some extent IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

 

They should just ban everything since in one way, shape or form, everything out there is bad for you.

 

just wait they are already trying.

 

Might make a big difference if there is a fatality.

 

I talk on my cellphone all the time and never had any wrecks, and it must really suck to have to completely stop to hear a few words.

 

I will with a bluetooth. Even before bluetooths I used a headset. I had a holder on my dash for a cell and my head set plugged into it. I will not use a cell without one 4 wheeler or truck.