The Latest News about South Dakota Car and Truck Accidents

NTSB Recommends Ban on Cell Phones Impacting Truckers in South Dakota

Posted on Sep 25, 2011

On Tuesday, September 13, 2011, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended a ban on cell phone use by truck drivers of commercial vehicles, except in emergency situations. The recommendation comes in the wake of a hearing determination in Washington in which it was concluded that a trucker in Kentucky crashed his truck in 2010 because he was distracted while making a call on his cell phone. Eleven people died as a result of this accident, including the truck driver, when the truck crashed into a 15-passenger van that was heading to a wedding.

While the latest recommendation from the NTSB is a result of this accident in Kentucky, the cell phone ban would be nation-wide, impacting all commercial truck drivers in South Dakota. Currently, South Dakota does not have a ban on cell phone use for drivers in the state.

While many trucking companies already have policies in place that prohibit cell phone use, commercial truckers have indicated that this new requirement would interfere with their ability to conduct business. Truck drivers would now have to pull over to the side of the road and stop in order to make a phone call.

The idea of banning cell phone use by drivers in South Dakota has encountered opposition in the past. The recommendation on the ban of cell phone use now moves forward to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which regulates the trucking industry in the United States, as well as the rest of the 50 states for action.

If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident with a distracted truck driver in South Dakota, contact a South Dakota personal injury attorney at Zimmer, Duncan & Cole. Call our offices toll free at (888) 733-2992 or complete the contact form on this page for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer.

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