From: Nolo's Employment Law Blog
That was one of my favorite bumper stickers a few years ago -- and
it's even more appropriate today, as more and more employers,
states, and now even the federal government are regulating what
drivers may do with their cell phones. Just last week, President
Obama signed an executive order prohibiting federal employees from
texting while driving whenever they are working, whether they are
using government-issued phones and cars or not. State
legislators, sometimes in response to well-publicized and
horrific crashes, have banned texting in 18 states; it's also
banned in the District of Columbia. Although no state
currently bans all drivers from using a cell phone, six states
require drivers to use hands-free devices if they want to talk on
the phone, and almost half of the st...
Respond to this topic on your own blog
Click and press Ctrl+C to copy and paste this discussion on your blog or site
Related Articles
If Texting & Cell Phone Use Increase Risks of Accidents, What Should Employers Be Doing?
The New York Times this week published a series of articles
revealing studies that showed that drivers who sent text messages
were 23 times more likely to get into a collision. Even the
casual use of cell phones while driving may increase the risk of
accidents. In light of these reports, what -- if anything -- should
employers be doing about this? That is the subject of a recent
blog post by Russell Cawyer of the Texas Employment Law
Update. He suggests a fairly strict approach: Given
that we live in a world where Darwinian principles don't work
quickly enough to thin the herd of those too "distracted" to
realize that they should not text message while driving, employers
should considering adding specific prohibitions against using
laptop computers, person...
AUSTRALIA Long Haul Truck Driver Fatigue Cause For Concern
WorkCover NSW (New South Wales, Australia) and the Roads and
Traffic Authority recently held a free event at Forbes to raise
awareness of driver fatigue in long distance trucking. Finance
Minister Michael Daley and Roads Minister David Borger said the
awareness day was a joint initiative between WorkCover and the RTA
to highlight the safety obligations among all parties in the
transport supply chain. (WCxKit) Daley said WorkCover has
been working closely with the trucking industry, the Transport
Workers Union, the RTA and NSW Police to improve truck driver
safety. This event is part of an advisory campaign designed
to support the transport and storage industry to improve the safety
of drivers and reduce the number of tragic incidents involving long
distance trucks,” Dal...
Under-ride Truck Accidents
Accidents involving large trucks are particularly frightening to
drivers and truckers alike. As these vehicles are significantly
larger than smaller cars, motorcycles, or even the largest SUVs on
the road, an accident involving a truck causes some of the greatest
forces in a collision that can happen on a highway. In particular,
if a driver rear ends a truck, unlike accidents with normal cars,
the results can be extremely dangerous if not fatal.
What to Do After a Hit and Run Accident
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, one in five
pedestrian deaths were the result of a hit and run driver.
Additionally, hit and run accidents can also occur with other
drivers, and they caused 7.8% of California's traffic fatalities in
2003. After a hit and run accident, it can be difficult and
frustrating to get the justice that you deserve. However, there are
some things that you can do following a hit and run to help the law
enforcement officials with your case.
Distracted Driving in School Zones
Walking in a school zone could be the most dangerous part of your
child's school day. So put pedestrian safety high on the list of
subjects to review with the entire family before Metro Nashville
Public Schools reopen for a half-day of class this Thursday, Aug.
12. There are multiple causes for car accidents involving child
pedestrians. Firstly, vehicle drivers can be at fault. According to
Safe Kids USA, one out of six vehicles moving through a school zone
is being driven by a distracted driver.
