so what's the skinny on truck drivers / cell phones in florida as of 1-1-12?

[Soundguy]

Ok.. I know NTSB has 'reccomended' banning cell phone use.. but has florida DOT actually taken any steps?

I tried wading thru FDOT pages.. but keep getting conflicting info or dead ends / walls of text that have lots of legalieze but don't say much.

anyone got the skinny for truck drivers in florida?

thanks

soundguy

 

[ramheadjim]

Action:
Final Rule
Summary:
FMCSA and PHMSA are amending the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) to restrict the use of hand-held mobile telephones by drivers of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). This rulemaking will improve safety on the Nation痴 highways by reducing the prevalence of distracted driving-related crashes, fatalities, and injuries involving drivers of CMVs. The Agencies also amend their regulations to implement new driver disqualification sanctions for drivers of CMVs who fail to comply with this Federal restriction and new driver disqualification sanctions for commercial driver痴 license (CDL) holders who have multiple convictions for violating a State or local law or ordinance on motor vehicle traffic control that restricts the use of hand-held mobile telephones. Additionally, motor carriers are prohibited from requiring or allowing drivers of CMVs to use hand-held mobile telephones.

 

[Stimw]

The key phrase there is "Hand Held".
I guess if you get one of those thingies in your ear that looks like you are walking around talking to yourself you will be OK.

 

[RoyJackson]

Although hand held phones have been prohibited (and I'm quite OK with that), one can still use a hands free device. I have for a few years now...and, yes, they are safer to use (writing from personal experiences and near misses).

I use a BlueAnt show in the link. These are pretty versatile (I used it and my cell as a speak phone at supplier visits) and the battery charge lasts a long time. The price shown is less then half of what I paid for it 2-3 years ago.
BlueAnt Supertooth 3 Bluetooth Speakerphone

 

[Cat_Driver]

They can make laws till the cows come home and it doesn't mean a thing. People will use cell phone while driving no matter what laws are passed.

They've has laws passed here for a year now and and at any stop light any time of the day you see a half dozen people on their cell phone.

They can never have enough police to ticket the number of people on their.

Funny you can't talk on the phone, but you can shove a burger in your mouth, read a book, and put on make-up.

This guy wasn't on the phone, so it was all good.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR1iUmq6ilA][ORIGINAL VIDEO] Multitasking While Driving - And You Thought Texting Was Bad - YouTube[/ame]

 

[sandman2234]

It is now illegal for CMV drivers to use hand held phones. Still waiting to see what my company is going to do about the Nextel beep beeps they use to talk to us on. Going to be interesting. They have a couple of differernt phones in the trucks, and seem to think giving each driver a hands free device will wokr. Won't for me, because I change to diffferent trucks, while most are assigned a truck. I will soon quit answering my cell when they call, as I am not going to absorb the extra minutes to allow them to use my hands free, if I get one. Currently they call me on my cell, and I use theirs to call them (they never know which truck I am in)Still haven't figured out what makes "hands free" safer than having one hand on the phone and the other on the steering wheel. Heck, I drive a computer shifted truck, so I only need one hand and for the most part, one foot. I do have to use the clutch when I come to a stop, but that could be fixed easier than a hands free, lol.
Most of the people I see with "phone problems" are paying more attention to the phone than the road, and the fact that a hand is holding the phone really has nothing to do with it, but I guess it is making somebody feel good thinking "they have done something" as far as passing a law to make our roads safer.
Most of the times I see truck drivers having "phone troubles" is when they are either dialing a number (looking at the keys instead of the road) or trying to answer a text somebody sent them. Most of the older style phones had a raised bump on the 5 so you could figure out which keys your fingers were on, but with the glass screen phones it is harder to do. However, the newer glass screen phones usually have voice activated or voice recognition to dial with out looking at the screen.
From what i understand, this currently only applies to CMV drivers, but look out, cause it will probably be expanded to "everybody" next.
Yesterday a Ford p/u was heading west on I-10 with tinted windows. Because the sun was ahead of them, and i was behind, I could see the passenger thru the rear window with her face in the drivers lap, bobing up and down. After I passed them, I noticed him running onto the paved shoulder a couple of times, then the scenery changed. She was sitting at the wheel in his lap and well, anyway, a lot more visible in my mirror than I need to bring up on this forum. Apparently changing drivers while going down the road is acceptable also????(and whatever else)
David from jax

 

[devildog1]

Hey what would be the rule on CB's in a car or truck? Can truck drivers still use them? and what about RV drivers who travel together and talk about stops and such?
DevilDog

 

[beppington]

It's bad enough to be holding a device instead of having both hands free to drive sufficiently.

Then there's the issue of talking/ listening which takes some amount of focus off driving.

But to me the worst is to be looking at a device's display instead of watching the road, especially if it's in your lap ... seems you have zero chance of correcting if you're not even looking.

 

[devildog1]

And what about the police who use computers as well as two ways? and firemen and EMT's ? Will they be able to use there two ways? CB's ?
DevilDog

 

[flyingcow]

I understand it's just for CMV's. Mind you thats a Fed rule. Each state has it's own regs for RV's and personal vehicles.

Also there is a bit of fine print on this one. Something like you can use hands free, but it's to be a one button push to activate? Something like that. Pretty stiff fines for repeat offenders.

CB's and two ways are still OK. For me, it's the conversation that you have one a cell phone thats distracting you. No matter who you are talking to, your attention is taking away from road. I am as guilty as the next guy.

I have been starting to keep mine turned off more, but it's a hard thing to do all the time.

Texting? Forget about it.