Utility Drivers May Use Hands-Free Devices in Company Cars
Federal regulators have clarified the equipment covered by their recent ban on the use of hand-held mobile telephones by the drivers of vehicles owned by electric cooperatives and other utilities. These drivers—in fact, all commercial motor vehicle operators—can use push-to-talk mobile phones while behind the wheel, provided they do not “reach for, dial, or hold the actual mobile telephone … while driving,” according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The driver must be able to touch the button needed to operate the push-to-talk feature from the normal seated position with his or her safety belt fastened. The FMCSA had turned down a request by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) to exempt electric coops from its mobile phone rule through an emergency services exemption. Read more.
