U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces Final Rule That Bans Hand-Held Cell Phone Use by Drivers of Buses and Large Trucks Today’s Action is the Latest by the Department to End Distracted Driving

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced a final rule specifically prohibiting interstate truck and bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones while operating their vehicles. The joint rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is the latest action by the U.S. Department of Transportation to end distracted driving.

“When drivers of large trucks, buses and hazardous materials take their eyes off the road for even a few seconds, the outcome can be deadly,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “I hope that this rule will save lives by helping commercial drivers stay laser-focused on safety at all times while behind the wheel.”

Final Rule from DOT

The emotional toll for Americans who lose a friend or loved one in a motor vehicle crash has a steep financial counterpart -- an average $6million per fatal accident, according to auto club AAA.

GPS-based fleet tracking is helping Orkin to more effectively dispatch pests and multiply profits.

Telematics helps the delivery company determine a truck’s performance and condition, as well as identify ways drivers can make small adjustments that yield major results.

NHTSA 05-11, Friday, April 1, 2011, Contact: Karen Aldana Tel: 202-366-9550 -- DOT Estimates Three Percent Drop Beneath 2009 Record Low U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the number and rate of traffic fatalities in 2010 fell to the lowest levels since 1949, despite a significant increase in the number of miles Americans drove during the year.

DOT HS 811 451, Traffic Safety Facts, April 2011 - Summary A statistical projection of traffic fatalities in 2010 shows that an estimated 32,788 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes. This represents a decline of about 3 percent as compared to the 33,808 fatalities that occurred in 2009,...

FMCSA 05-11, Thursday, March 31, 2011, Contact: Candice Tolliver • Tel: 202-366-9999 or 202-306-4580, WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today declared Pennsylvania-based bus company Super Luxury Tours, Inc. an imminent hazard to public safety and ordered the company to immediately cease all intrastate and interstate transportation services.

NHTSA 04-11 Monday, March 28, 2011 Contact: Karen Aldana Tel: 202-366-9550 PHOENIX -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today presented awards at the 29th Annual Lifesavers Conference to 17 individuals and groups for their exemplary achievement in promoting highway safety across America.

DOT 39-11, Monday, March 28, 2011, Contact: Justine Adelizzi, Tel: (202) 366-5551, WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today released the latest video in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Faces of Distracted Driving” series.

NHTSA 03-11 Wednesday, March 23, 2011 Contact: Karen Aldana Tel: 202-366-9550 NHTSA Administrator Strickland Hears from Industry Representatives, Victims and Public Interest Groups as They Offer Views On Safety for Children and the Elderly The U.S. Department of Transportation today held a day-long public hearing with industry leaders, public interest groups and victims to hear their views on government proposals on safety measures to help eliminate blind zones behind vehicles that can hide the presence of pedestrians, especially young children and the elderly.