Distracted driving is a major cause of vehicular accidents, and now may be a good time to remind your drivers not to use their cell phones while driving. A federal law that took effect in January prohibits commercial vehicle drivers from talking on a hand-held cellular phone while behind the wheel unless they pull off to the side of the road in a safe location. The same ban applies to texting while driving.

Civil penalties can go up to $2,700 for each offense, and drivers face disqualification for multiple offenses. Companies that allow their drivers to use a hand-held cellular phone while driving can be fined up to $11,000 for each offense.

The US DOT rule states that drivers may use push-to-talk communications devices while driving if the driver does not have to reach for, hold or dial in order to talk. For purposes of the rule, the definition of driving includes temporarily stopped at a traffic light or other momentary delays in traffic. The ban does not apply to CB or two-way radio services.

This information is brought to you by Spill Center, a leading nationwide spill-support and environmental claims management company. We hope you found it useful. We have been helping clients - carriers, shippers, truck leasing and rental companies, chemical companies and insurers - to contain costs and limit potential liability related to accidents with environmental spills for more than 20 years.

To learn more about how we can help your company increase its preparedness to report and handle spills quickly and efficiently, please call me directly at 978-568-1922, X222, or email me at tmoses@spillcenter.com. I also invite you to visit our new integrated website at www.spillcenter.com.

Sincerely,

Tom Moses

President
Spill Center

22 Kane Industrial Drive
Hudson, Massachusetts 01749