Truckers want exemptions from no-texting laws

When you’re driving alongside an 18-wheeler, hurtling along at 70 mph on an interstate highway, you would hope the driver’s got his hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road. Tractor-trailer rigs are difficult to control and deadly when they’re out of control.

But according to this New York Times story, many of them may have their hands on computer keyboards and be looking at screens. Most long-haul truckers now have computers in their cabs that let them communicate with their dispatchers. And as Congress ponders making it illegal to text and drive, they want to be exempt.

How lucky do you feel?

The trucking industry says these devices can be used safely, posing less of a distraction than BlackBerrys, iPhones and similar gadgets, and therefore should be exempted from legislation that would ban texting while driving.

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