A new law recently passed has now placed a nation wide ban on texting while driving commercial vehicles. Made official Oct. 21 it includes penalties up to $2,750 and an $11,000 maximum for carriers, as well as sanctions including, for repeat offenders, disqualification from operating vehicles in interstate commerce. A texting conviction is now considered a serious traffic violation. Driver violators can be disqualified for 60 days if convicted of two separate violations in three years and 120 days if convicted of three or more violations in three years.Under the new law texting includes a short message service, emailing, instant messaging, a request to access the Internet or any other form of electronic text retrieval or entry.
However, it does not include:
• Reading, selecting or entering a telephone or extension number, or voicemail retrieval codes and commands into an electronic device to make or receive a phone call or using voice commands to initiate or receive a phone call.
• Inputting, selecting, or reading a global positioning system or navigation system.
• Using fleet management systems, dispatching devices, smart phones, CBs or music players.
We are concerned about the safety of our drivers and ask that no one drive distracted. Accidents do happen and driving while texting increases those chances. We offer the best rates on commercial auto insurance to protect you in case of an accident. To make sure you are properly covered contact us at Berrier Insurance and we will review your commercial trucking insurance with you, providing detailed answers to any of your questions. Keep yourself safe, if you see a distracted driver stay clear of them! To read more of this article visit Truckers News.
Lisa Sherer, President
Berrier Insurance Agency, Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment