Commercial Drivers Texting On Mobile Phones Are A Menace And Cause Accidents

A highway safety group has petitioned the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to prohibit texting and cell phone use by commmercial drivers nationwide.  This comes in the wake of some horrific tractor trailer and commercial bus accidents resulting from cell phone use by professional drivers.  I say "it's about time."  As in "mandatory jail time" for any commercial driver that gets caught.  Think that's too heavy handed?  Check out the video on this link of a bus driver texting just before he crashes into a car.  It might change your mind.

DC Metro Buses Colliding With Cyclists

We had another DC Metrobus / bicycle collision yesterday, and as usual Metro blames it on the cyclist.  Metro's Taryn McNeil said her "preliminary investigation" was that the cyclist "ran into the bus."  The DC Fire / EMS spokesman, however, said the injured cyclist was adjusting her bike on a bike rack when the bus somehow ran over the bike.  Huh?  Which is it Metro?  Check out the photo and story here and see what you think happened.  He also said the cyclist was transported to an area hospital with neck and back pain - injuries not considered "serious."  (Right.  Tell that to anyone who's experienced neck and back pain from a traumatic accident!)  In my opinion, this is the latest in a disturbng trend of DC Metro bus accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists, and it's time WMATA started taking these incidents more seriously before another cyclist is hurt or killed.