In January of 2010, U.
S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a temporary ban on text messaging while driving.
This temporary ban applied to bus drivers and commercial truck drivers if the truck is over 10,000 pounds.
Under this ban, drivers could face civil or criminal penalties if caught texting while driving or if involved in an accident.
In April of 2010, with widespread approval and support of the temporary ban, the U.
S.
Transportation Department proposed to make the ban permanent.
Texting while driving is already illegal in twenty states and the District of Columbia.
An additional nine states have restrictions for younger drivers.
Senator Charles Schumer of New York and Robert Menendez of New Jersey introduced federal legislation to urge states to pass laws banning texting by all drivers.
According to the Transportation Department, 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured in 2008 due to distracted drivers.
Many of these deaths and injuries were attributed to inattention due to mobile phone usage.
According to the wireless industry association CTIA, 32.
6 billion text messages were sent in the first six months of 2005.
That number increased to 740 billion in the first six months of 2009.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published studies showing that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.
6 seconds out of every 6 seconds.
At highway speeds, that means cars travel more than the length of a football field without the driver ever looking at the road.
S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a temporary ban on text messaging while driving.
This temporary ban applied to bus drivers and commercial truck drivers if the truck is over 10,000 pounds.
Under this ban, drivers could face civil or criminal penalties if caught texting while driving or if involved in an accident.
In April of 2010, with widespread approval and support of the temporary ban, the U.
S.
Transportation Department proposed to make the ban permanent.
Texting while driving is already illegal in twenty states and the District of Columbia.
An additional nine states have restrictions for younger drivers.
Senator Charles Schumer of New York and Robert Menendez of New Jersey introduced federal legislation to urge states to pass laws banning texting by all drivers.
According to the Transportation Department, 5,870 people were killed and 515,000 were injured in 2008 due to distracted drivers.
Many of these deaths and injuries were attributed to inattention due to mobile phone usage.
According to the wireless industry association CTIA, 32.
6 billion text messages were sent in the first six months of 2005.
That number increased to 740 billion in the first six months of 2009.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration published studies showing that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.
6 seconds out of every 6 seconds.
At highway speeds, that means cars travel more than the length of a football field without the driver ever looking at the road.