Obama bans texting and driving while working for the government

Posted: Oct 01, 2009

Filed under: Breaking, Industry News, Polls

Obama Cell Phone

At the end of the two-day summit held by the Department of Transportation to crack down on distracted driving, President Barack Obama signed an executive order banning federal workers from texting while driving government vehicles. The White House said that the ban also applies to privately owned vehicles if the employee is on official government business.

The president’s order encourage federal contractors and others doing business with the U.S. government to enforce their own ban on texting while driving on the job, the White House said.

“This order sends a very clear signal to the American public that distracted driving is dangerous and unacceptable,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “It shows that the federal government is leading by example.”

The Transportation Department officials plan to seek a federal ban for truck and interstate bus drivers on text messaging and using cell phones while on the job.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the United States government should legally ban texting while driving? Cast your vote in the poll below.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Detroit News
Photo Credit: Pete Souza – Flickr

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Tags: Barack Obama

krystalkid

80% percent of all rear end collisions (the most frequent vehicle accident) are caused by driver inattention, following too closely, external distraction (talking on cell phones, shaving, applying makeup, fiddling with the radio or CD player, kids, texting, etc.) and poor judgement. Since there is little you can do to prevent a rear end collision I decided to get one of these sparebumper.com

Kieran

they can ban whatever they want. How do they plan on enforcing it?
I live in New York where talking on your phone (actually holding it to your ear) is illegal while driving. Yet I see people all the time driving about while gabbing away without a care in the world. We also have a law coming into effect on Nov 1 that bans texting or using any other hand held electronic device while driving.
but then there's this issue.
"Also, New York’s texting ban will receive what is known as “secondary” enforcement. In other words, unlike the situation with an offense labeled “primary,” a fine may be imposed only if the police find some other violation, like speeding or running a red light."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/nyregion/01ny...
so as you can see, it's pretty useless

zermatt

I agree that enforecement is weak, especially if the violation has to be paired to a more serious violation. I would hope that people would just GET OFF THE FUCKING PHONE and drive.