It is now illegal for any commercial driver, including truckers and bus drivers, to engage in text messaging while driving.
The Transportation Department prohibition went into effect Tuesday, reports CBS News Correspondent Transportation Correspondent Nancy Cordes.
In 2008, nearly 6,000 people died in accidents related to distracted drivers, and more than half-a-million were injured.
That caught the attention of the Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who says, "We're going to set the highest bar possible. ... Any distraction that takes two hands off the wheel and eyes off the windshield should not be allowed."
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia already ban texting-while-driving any vehicle.
The new policy targets commercial vehicles nationwide.
Drivers will face a fine of up to $2,750 dollars if they're caught in the act.
Advocates welcome the new ban, but say more needs to be done. "I think it is a cultural change that is needed," says Judy Stone, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, "and I think it's going to take us awhile."
The move is the latest in a series of actions by the Transportation Department to combat distracted driving since LaHood held a national summit on the issue last September.
Source: CBS News
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