Jeffrey M. Sanders says US DOT plans rule to prohibit texting by interstate truckers and bus drivers.

Jeffrey M. Sanders partners up with Robert E. Sanders to help injured victims of distracted drivers.

Did you know that the U.S. DOT plans to issue a federal rule to prohibit texting by interstate commercial truck and bus drivers. The proposed rule would make permanent an interim ban announced in January 2010 that applied existing safety rules to the specific issue of texting.

Shockingly, FMCSA research shows that drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting.

At 55 miles per hour, this means that the driver is traveling the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road. That is simply scary to fellow drivers who share the road with 100,000 pound trucks.

Drivers, who text while driving, are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than non-distracted drivers. Because of the safety risks associated with the use of electronic devices while driving, FMCSA is also working on additional regulatory measures that will be announced in the coming months.

President Obama also signed an Executive Order directing federal employees not to engage in text messaging while driving government-owned vehicles or with government-owned equipment. Federal employees were required to comply with the ban starting on December 30, 2009.