American Trucking Associations (ATA) President and CEO Bill Graves joined Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood as LaHood announced a ban on text messaging by drivers of commercial vehicles.

"Texting on a handheld phone while driving substantially elevates the risk of being involved in a crash," said Graves. "To promote highway safety, and further improve the trucking industry's continually improving safety record and that of all commercial vehicles, ATA supports DOT's action to ban the use of handheld wireless devices by commercial drivers to send or receive text messages while driving."

Graves also said ATA supports states' efforts to ban texting by automobile drivers as well.  He said ATA will continue to work with affiliated state trucking associations and diverse stakeholder groups to make that happen. As proof of the trucking industry's highway safety progress, over the last 5 years the truck-involved fatality rate has declined 22 percent, the truck-involved injury rate has declined 25 percent, and both are at record lows.

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