How are they gonna handle the CB thing?? That's certainly not hands free...Are two way radios banned as well.... I can understand not wanting them to text and maybe have them use a hands free device but every non hands free device? Next they won't let us use our mobiles in the popo cars...
They are saying that officers are trained professionals and can thus use their hand held devices while saying that truck drivers who spend up to 70 hours a week behind the wheel are not qualified... typical 1984 government double-speak, subversion of the constitutional requirement of equal protection of the law.
the FHWA stated eventually they plan to outlaw all communication devices while operating. I'm not so sure it's all about distracted driving.
A thing about distracted driving.
Ordinarily it would have to be proven what event or exigency an activity distracted the driver from identifying a hazzard. You can't just say "he was smoking so he was distracted" You have to point out something that was missed. if nothing is missed, there's is no distraction.
But the system has deemed certain activities to be de facto distractions so a distraction can become a matter of fact without proof.
If your in an accident police will ask questions like were you listening to the radio, smoking, eating, looking at a map, talking on a phone, texting, etc.
Without any proof that these activities were the cause of the accident or interfered with the drivers operation of the vehicle and awareness they are "deemed" to have contributed to the accident.
if you will notice the reports regarding cell phone usage and texting state that the activities were involved. this means these activities were conducted concurrent to the event not the cause of the event but the concurrent activities are "deemed" to be the cause and are treated as the cause without any proof or due process or without even officially labelling them as the cause.
One of the latest and greatest affronts to law has been the governments' total contempt for the constitutions requirement of due process. Hello tyranny.
Thank you Nancy Pelosi for showing the people what the government is doing to them when it "deems".
The cell phone providers have already been required by the government to take down the speed trap and checkpoint locating apps and have been required to give the government back door access to all devices for live tap or confiscation of data without warrant. more contempt of due process.
I'm pretty sure the police will get to keep their tools, it's just the truckers losing their rights to tools of the trade.
The legal definition of Licence is privilege to engage in an illegal activity
privilege cannot be granted until the activity is first outlawed
P.S. I was listening to Dave Nemo on the radio and the industry stats show that truck related accidents reached their lowest point when you had 8 hour breaks, could still split sleeper berth and there was no 14 hour rule. truck related accidents have actually been on the rise and the more they regulate the more they rise. They said once the FHWA had accomplished all they could do to limit truck related accidents they began to fabricate risks to justify their existence and justify their budget. They said the FHWA has become a big fat make work project for government employees.