Beginning this month, commercial truck carriers will notice that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has updated the safety ‘snapshot’ it uses for its Unsafe Driving BASIC (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category) to include violations reflected in the agency’s new cell phone regulations. That rule which came into effect January 3, 2012, prohibits commercial drivers from using hand-held mobile phones while driving.
Here’s a summary of the changes:
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Added Carrier SMS Unsafe Driving BASIC Violations |
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Section |
Violation Shown on Roadside Inspection Report |
Violation Group Description |
Violation Severity Weight |
| 177.804(b) | Failure to comply with 49 CFR 392.80 – Texting while Oper a CMV – Placardable HM | Texting | 10 |
| 177.804(c) | Fail to comply with 392.82 – Using Mobile Phone while Oper a CMV – HM | Phone Call | 10 |
| 392.80(a) | Driving a commercial motor vehicle while texting | Texting | 10 |
| 392.82(a)(1) | Using a hand-held mobile telephone while operating a CMV | Phone Call | 10 |
| 392.82(a)(2) | Allowing or requiring driver to use a hand-held mobile tel while operating a CMV | Phone Call | 10 |
For anyone familiar with these rules, note that cell phone violations are weighted with a 10 — which is serious as it gets.
Because of the FMCSA regulations the new hand-held phone ban modifies, it automatically became part of the Unsafe Driving BASIC when it came into effect last month, so violations have both financial and CSA implications. Specifically adding these five cell phone violations to the safety ‘snapshot’ it sends to motor carriers shows how seriously the FMCSA is taking this new rule.
To minimize the impact of these news rules on your business — learn how you can automatically promote safe and legal use of cell phones while your employees are driving on the job.
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