Skip to main content

Guide to complying with FMCSA handheld cell phone ban

Effective yestereday, a new US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule prohibits an estimated four million commercial truck and bus drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving.
March 22, 2012 Read time: 1 min
Effective yestereday, a new US 4170 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rule prohibits an estimated four million commercial truck and bus drivers from using handheld cell phones while driving. Under the new rule, individual drivers face civil penalties up to US$2,750, while employers can be held liable and fined up to $11,000 per infraction committed while drivers are carrying out company business or otherwise acting on the employer’s behalf.

To help commercial fleet operators understand and conform to the new regulation, ZoomSafer, a provider of software to prevent distracted driving, has published FMCSA Cell Phone Use Regulations: A Guide to Compliance for Truck and Bus Fleets.

“FMCSA has made it abundantly clear that employers are responsible if their employees violate the rule,” said ZoomSafer CEO Matt Howard. “This new white paper offers commercial fleet operators a detailed explanation of the handheld phone ban and guidance on how to measure and manage employee compliance.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The road to climate change mitigation starts at Highways UK
    February 17, 2020
    David Arminas explored climate change innovation on display at Highways UK in Birmingham, England
  • GPS machine control technology aids productivity
    February 21, 2012
    GPS technology offers contractors many benefits and product offerings are growing more diverse, Mike Woof reports. The benefit of GPS technology for the construction industry cannot be overstated.
  • Fewer cars; more reckless drivers?
    April 28, 2020
    Emptier streets may be a green light for some US drivers to flaunt safety laws, reports the GHSA*.
  • The hanging Honda
    August 10, 2018
    Police in Toronto are still mystified as to how and why a stripped-out Honda was left dangling from a busy bridge. At first it was thought the car had been placed there as part of a movie shoot, but it was quickly realised that this was not the case and no request had been filed to carry out such a stunt. The car was stripped of any identification as well as many mechanical components, reducing its weight sufficiently for it to be suspended from a single cable. After a period left hanging, the vehicle was l