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Sep. 25, 2009

Back in 2006, U.S. safety investigators told federal regulators that it was dangerous for bus drivers to talk on mobile phones while driving and recommended a complete ban.

Recently, the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) put that same recommendation on its list of most important safety measures. Industry and safety groups had no objections with that.

But yet the regulatory agency that is charged of implementing new rules on cell phone usage by commercial drivers, the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) has done little more than just study the issue.

And now more than three years later, there's still no ban on the use of cell phones by bus drivers, and that irritates more than one federal investigator.

There's since been several high-profile accidents and with many fatalities that focused public attention on using mobile phones on the road, and now the Obama administration has decided to act on the recommendation, which was left hanging in the air by the previous administration.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will convene a two-day summit on Sep. 29 on distracted driving and plans to announce drastic actions to address cell phone usage by bus and truck drivers, said spokeswoman Jill Zuckman.

The safety board recommends that the motor carrier administration prohibit commercial bus drivers from talking on cell phones except in emergencies and that it encourages states to do the same for school bus drivers.

The agency responded that it would not only conduct studies to learn whether a new rule was needed and whether cell phone use by all commercial drivers (including truck drivers) should be prohibited.

It hoped to have answers last October. It's almost a year now and people are still waiting...

The NTSB's recommendation was prompted by a 2004 accident in which the driver of a motorcoach carrying students on a trip to Washington became so embattled in a heated cell phone conversation that he failed to notice signs that said the height of an upcoming bridge was nearly two feet less than the height of the bus.

The bus slammed into the underside of the bridge, shearing off the roof and injuring eleven passengers. One of them was in critical condition.

NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said "he drove that bus right into that bridge. It just peeled the top back of the bus on its entire lenght. If you could see the picture, you would be shocked that there weren't any fatalities. It was a miracle I guess."

An official for the motor carrier administration declined comment when contacted yesterday.

Research clearly shows that cell phone usage distracts drivers, safety experts said. "When you are talking on the phone, or worse: TEXTING!-- you might be going through the motions of doing what you need to be doing, but your head certainly isn't in it," Hersman said.

"I don't know of any motorcoach operator that tolerates drivers using cell phones for any purpose unless they're pulling over for an emergency," said Victor Parra, president and chief executive of United Motorcoach Association, which represents tour bus operators.

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Source: The NTSB.