Obama’s texting ban takes effect
January 5, 2010 by Sam NarisiPosted in: HR Tech, In this week's e-newsletter - Tech, Latest News & Views, policies
An executive order that bans texting while driving for federal workers was signed in October by President Obama and took effect today.
The order means that more than three million federal workers are forbidden to text while driving government vehicles, using government-issued phones and PDAs, or while on official business driving their own vehicles.
The order also strongly encourages federal contractors to prohibit their employees from texting while driving company vehicles. That means if your company does business with the feds, look for them to check on your texting/driving policies.
The big question: Will Obama’s move inspire the same sort of ban at state, local and non-government organizations?
Private companies are recommended to follow the feds’ lead: Employers can be hit with big lawsuits when employees cause accidents while conducting company business on the road.
January 7th, 2010 at 12:35 am
Both sets of circumstances (Text Ban while driving and a possible text ban while walking) already are in direct violation to several existing federal laws. These state bans passed as laws are already rendered illegal due to not being in direct compliance to federal laws since voice communication via “Hands-Free” is allowed. This creates an inaccessible accommodations violation of federal laws for the 62 million people with disabilities that use text communication.
Such a ban on texting cannot be implemented without a total ban on voice communication because people with disabilities who use texting as an accessible accommodation in both personal and professional communication due to laws such as the ADA, Telecommunications Act of 1996, Telephone Act of 1934, etc.
Those who cannot use voice due to disability use text messaging, instant messaging, and emailing as their alternative accommodation.
Such bans were done in past history such as the Milan Conference of 1880 where they banned sign language and triggered the Eugenics War against Deaf and Hard of Hearing people were done. During the war, the hearing population purposefully separated Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals from marrying each other in attempt to extinguish the disability. This is no different than Hitler who had six million Jews killed during World War II.
A national Class Action lawsuit against the US Government is in consideration due to current bans in 19 states (so far) that directly violate federal law. This is to attempt to prevent a second Eugenics War in our country.
Source: http://deafness.about.com/cs/featurearticles/a/milan1880.htm
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Please give me a break! The point here is distracted driving not discrimination. EVERYONE should be focused on the rode while driving and not doing something else whether it be talking on the phone or texting on the phone. It’s not only the other people on the road that deserve to not be hit and possibly killed by a distracted driver – it’s for the safety of the person being distracted too!
I don’t know why we all think we became so important that we can’t be disconnected from everyone we know for a few hours a day while we drive somewhere!
If people refuse to take personal responsibility for safety maybe we deserve to have more laws forced on us!
February 4th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
And that is EXACTLY why the laws need to have a Total Ban on both voice and text communication. As it stands right now, ALL 19 states do not have a total ban.. only on text messaging ban or the voice ban, but not both.
If safety is to be the REAL issue, then along with protecting the individual rights of individuals both abled and disabled, then the law HAS to be in compliance with Federal Laws as they are in place.
Until the laws are in compliance with Federal Law, the current state laws that do not equally ban voice and text users continues to be in violation.
That is where we have to be sure to analyze… to be sure that we are in compliance with the laws on ALL levels, not just convieniently leaving out 62 million americans with disabilities.
Just because there are those that want to maintain voice calling while driving, does not make it any safer or make it right.
Something to think about… meanwhile the class action continues.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
It’s sad that we need a law, when common sense should work.