Over & Out

Any driver — of the commercial variety or otherwise — can attest that it’s darn near impossible not to be distracted by something while behind the wheel these days.

Even beyond the other side of the windshield there’s plenty of attention-grabbing objects: Provocative or lurid billboards; zigzagging cyclists; oblivious pedestrians (usually talking on cell phones themselves); and, dare we say it, that first wave of summer dresses to hit the street are just a few head-turning distractions drivers have virtually no control over.

So, to limit drivers’ sensory overload, politicians in many jurisdictions have legislated controls on the kinds of diversions vehicle operators do have responsibility over — no, not the screaming five-year old in the backseat (which, as this writer knows, might not be such a bad thing to consider) — but namely hand-held telematic devices like cell phones, Blackberries and other communication tools.

Ontario has gone a step further. In a move that could make CW McCall switch to singing the blues, the provincial ban on cell phone chatting and texting also includes the phasing out of truckers’ Citizen Band (CBs) and UHF/VHF radios — making the province, as far as we can tell, the only jurisdiction on the continent to do so.

Officials insist CBs present a particular challenge since the receiver and communications unit are separate from each other and are connected by a cord.

Educational enforcement on the general cell and texting restrictions kicked in on Oct. 26 (Police will issue tickets of up to $500 starting on February 1, 2010 for non-compliance). CBs, though, will get a three-year exemption. The Provincial Ministry of Transportation (MTO) hopes the phase-out process will give industry enough time to introduce into the market a hands-free, two-way communication alternative. If not, the MTO supposedly assured the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) that it could extend that timeframe should no suitable technology become available. 

Most in-cab technology is OK as long as you can
work it with your hands on the wheel.

There are, however, other accommodations for the commercial sector — some a little vague — including permanent exemptions for satellite, navigation, collision avoidance and other fleet management systems for the viewing of logistical information on a display as long as the vehicle is not in motion and the device is not held in hand.

The same goes for hand-held push-to-talk devices, hand mics and walkie-talkies, which are popular in short-haul and vocational applications.

Just as the law applies to standard cell phones, these devices can only be used while driving if they are mounted or secured to the vehicle and are easily activated by one press of a button. They cannot be hanging from the roof of the cab or dashboard.

The OTA supports "the intent and the principle of the law," although its president David Bradley tells us that member carriers would have preferred a more general distracted-driving regulation that deals with "all bad behaviors." Still, Bradley concedes that the CB ban, which came as a surprise to him, is likely to draw the ire of many truck drivers.

"Given the still pervasive use of these devices in the industry, I expect there could be push-back from some truck drivers," he said. "In many respects the CB is not only an important part of the truckers’ social network, but it is also an important safety device in its own right."

Geoff Edwards, an OTA Road Knight and driver with Werner Enterprises Canada, also supports bans on most hand-held devices, but questions whether a CB ban would deliver any net safety benefits. It’s true that there’s a lot of needless banter on Channel 19, but truckers also frequently use the airwaves to warn each other of upcoming accidents, road conditions and inclement weather. "They can be very helpful," he says. While a hands-free alternative sounds ideal, it’s possible, Edwards reckons, that such a technology could be too pricey for the average owner-op or for some carriers to outfit their entire fleet.

POLITICAL PRESSURE

At the recent American Trucking Associations (ATA) management meeting in Las Vegas, president Bill Graves warned carriers that they should expect to "lead with their chin," if they were going to survive not only this difficult economic climate, but, as it’s becoming clearer, an increasingly overzealous Congress and White House as well.

"The regulatory winds are not blowing in our favor," he said. "The question is how you are able to deal with a myriad of mandates and still find enjoyment in running your business."

In fact, it appears as if "distracted drivers" is poised to overtake "tired truckers" as the scare issue du jour south of the border. Anti-truck special-interest groups like Public Citizen and CRASH have turned their attention to the "devastating" impact of truckers who talk, text, or use any "unsafe electronic device." 

Industry and government struggle to balance in-cab
communication devices and transport efficiency.

Not surprisingly, the groups’ national campaign is aimed squarely and solely on truckers and not at all on four-wheelers.

What’s more, the group is against the use of both handheld and hands-free devices. In a press conference, it leaned heavily on a recent Virginia Tech study that found driver distraction to be the cause of 100 percent of crashes; and that certain hands-free wireless devices, including dispatch hardware, were also problematic.

With lobbying groups having racked up political capital with this administration, it’s possible, however unlikely, that a national mandate regulators have been assigned to develop could put significant restrictions on certain types of hands-free technology on top of hand-held prohibitions.

Graves too admits that decision makers — including, perhaps, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood — are eying a "broader, more aggressive approach."

Despite recent attempts by some major American media outlets to paint carriers as anti-safety and resistant to telematics controls, most carriers in Canada and the U.S. welcome reasonable limits on truly distracting in-cab hardware.

"This industry routinely meets its challenges," says Mike Ham, vice-president of business services for Shaw Tracking in Toronto. Whether it’s emissions controls or hours-of-service or speed limiters, "our customer base has been dealing with technological mandates … and the vast majority bust their (butt) to make sure they’re compliant."

In fact, dispatch communications suppliers like Shaw Tracking and PeopleNet already offer hands-free, voice recognition and screen-blanking solutions while the vehicle is in transit. However, they’re voluntary options based on the fleet application. A blanket government mandate on hands-free technology as well is not only impractical for many operations, but also probably unsafe considering the safety advantages many technologies provide.

PeopleNet Canada’s Jamie Williams says many industry products are focused on "taking a lot of emphasis away from the driver," but eliminating driver involvement entirely probably isn’t practical in today’s business environment.

Bradley isn’t overly concerned that the highly politicized debate stateside will blow north of the border. "In Canada, while we have truck haters too, we’re at least able to have intelligent debate and discourse," he says. "In the U.S., there’s a different agenda, which is to try and move as much freight off of trucks and onto some other mode. We get a bit of that in Canada, but not really to the same degree."

Trucker Geoff Edwards is just thankful that Canadian distracted-driving laws for the most part treat 18-wheeler pilots and car drivers the same way. It’s quite absurd that any national mandate would consider targeting commercial drivers long before their more compact highway counterparts who cause the vast majority of crashes, whether they’re distracted or not.

In all his years on the road, Edwards has seen some pretty peculiar behavior from his vantage point involving mostly four-wheelers, including a few things that can’t be quoted in a family magazine. A few that can are: "Reading newspapers. Putting on makeup. And getting dressed," Edwards recalls. "I’ve seen computer [laptops] taped to the steering wheel and the guy was typing on the keyboard as he went down the road."

Somehow, we don’t think the authorities had that in mind when they okayed electronic devices only if they’re secured to the vehicle.