I know I keep saying it, but texting on a mobile phone when driving isn’t a good thing; in fact it is extremely dangerous and can lead to fatality. Over here in the UK there has been a ban in place for some time on not just texting but any use of a mobile phone when driving unless using a hands free solution.
The United States seems to be somewhat behind the UK when realising the dangers of using a mobile phone at the wheel, but they are slowly catching on as according to an article on Reuters, the US government has now outlawed texting by truckers and bus drivers whilst driving.
Now if a truck or bus driver is caught sending text messages while at the wheel of a vehicle they face a fine of up to $2750, which is a fairly hefty fine by will it deter? Such penalties are not working that well in the UK.
According to the article, the National Safety Council in the US estimate 200,000 crashes of all types on US roads are caused by texting by the driver. That’s a huge amount, but to be honest it is about time the US made it a blanket nationwide ban for any use of a mobile phone when driving unless used via a hands-free solution, don’t you agree?