The prohibition is the latest in a series of actions taken by the U.S. government to combat distracted driving.  In September 2009, the Secretary of Transportation convened a national summit on this serious driving issue and has set up a website dedicated to resolving the problem.   www.distraction.gov  

In his opening remarks at the Distracted Driving Summit, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, “Every single time you take your eyes off the road or talk on the phone while you’re driving – even for just a few seconds – you put your life in danger. And you put others in danger too. This kind of behavior is irresponsible – and the consequences are devastating.”

In announcing the ban, the Secretary said “We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe. This is an important safety step and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving.” 

According to the National Safety Council, drivers who are texting cause an estimated 200,000 crashes on U.S. roads.  Drivers of commercial trucks and buses who text while driving may now be subject to civil or criminal penalties of up to $2,750.

Research from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows that drivers who take their eyes off the road while sending and reading text messages are significantly more at risk for being involved in an accident than those drivers who do not text while driving.  Research demonstrated that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds.  At 55 miles per hour, this means that a texting driver travels the length of a football field, including the end zones, without looking at the road.  Those drivers are more than 20 times more likely to get in an accident than non-distracted drivers.  

Because of the significant safety risks associated with the use of electronic devices while driving, the FMCSA is also working on additional regulatory measures that will be announced in the coming months.

On October 28, 2009, a van was pulling a utility trailer in Cannon Township.  The trailer came loose and hit an oncoming car’s windshield, killing the driver and severely injuring her passenger. 

 Police said it appeared the steel pin holding the ball mount to the van’s hitch came loose, allowing the trailer that was hauling salvage metal to break free from the van. No safety chains were being used by the driver of the van.  After the trailer was inspected by the Sheriff Department, it was found to not be road worthy.  The law firm of Halpert, Weston, Wuori and Sawusch P.C. has handled numerous civil cases involving vehicles hauling trailers.  The law firm investigates all levels of the mechanical, safety and legal issues for each and every case.  

It is important that drivers hauling trailers not only have the knowledge of how to properly hookup and use the trailer, but also know the dangers of what could happen without the proper hookup and lack of safety precautions.

 There are several types of trailer hookups to vehicles.  In the matter mentioned above, the driver was using a ball mount hitch hookup.  The driver not only failed to take safety precautions by using chains to secure the trailer to the vehicle in the event the hitch came loose, the driver also failed to make sure the pin that holds the ball mount to the van’s hitch was safely secured. 

Michigan law requires that a trailer towed or drawn by a vehicle must be attached to the vehicle with forms of coupling devices so that the movement of the towed or drawn trailer does not deviate more than 3 inches to either side of the path of the towing vehicle. The trailer must also be connected to the towing vehicle by suitable safety chains or devices, 1 on each side of the coupling and at the extreme outer edge of the vehicle. Each safety chain or device and connection must be of sufficient strength to haul the trailer when fully loaded.

 Safety chains should be crossed-over on each side of the trailer to the hookup on the vehicle.  The left side chain on the trailer should be hooked to the right side of the vehicle and the right side chain on the trailer should be hooked to the left side of the vehicle.

The law firm of Halpert, Weston, Wuori & Sawusch P.C. has successfully litigated cases involving vehicle-trailer collisions.  In 2009, the law firm obtained a 1.05 million dollar settlement in a case involving a pickup truck that was hauling a trailer full of salvaged steel.  The poorly secured and overloaded trailer unhitched from the truck, and the trailer crushed the passenger side of a vehicle, trapping the victims inside and causing very serious injuries.