On March 26, 2010, a tractor-trailer was barreling down Interstate 65 near Munfordville, Ky. Suddenly, the truck crossed the median, entered the opposite lanes, and struck a 15 passenger van. Killed were the truck driver, the van driver, and nine van passengers.

In 2004, the National Transportation Safety Board investigated an accident involving a motor coach that crashed into a bridge overpass on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Alexandria, Va. The bridge had warning signs that it had only a 10-foot, two-inch clearance in the right lane. The driver drove the 12-foot high bus onto the bridge anyway. Eleven passengers were injured.In both accidents, there was a common denominator. Both drivers were talking on cellular phones.In the case of the truck driver, the NTSB concluded, with evidence received, "that because he was distracted from the driving task by the use of his cellular telephone at the time of the accident, the truck driver did not maintain control of his vehicle."It was determined that the cause of the bus accident was also "due to cognitive distraction resulting from conversing on a hands-free cellular telephone while driving."The NTSB has now made the recommendation that all 50 states and the District of Columbia "prohibit the use of cellular telephones by drivers of commercial motor vehicles."We agree that this is a good idea.The NTSB states, "Research has demonstrated that distractions while driving degrade several aspects of driving performance, resulting in slower reaction times, slower driving speeds, and more frequent lapses in attention.""The NTSB firmly believes that commercial drivers must focus their attention on operating their large, heavy commercial vehicles rather than switching their attention between driving tasks and telephone use," states the NTSB in its request to state governors. "The NTSB does not differentiate between hand-held and hands-free devices because research shows that both types of cellular telephones produce performance degradation."Hopefully, lawmakers will not only give the recommendation by the NTSB some serious consideration, but take hasty action on it.Drivers of emergency vehicles going to or from dispatched sites would be exempt.Driving a commercial vehicle isn't like driving a car. It's important that drivers of CMVs keep a clear mind on their operations at all times.The regulations would not only apply to tractor-trailer drivers, but also to school bus and passenger bus drivers.Is it really safe for a school bus driver to be carrying on a conversation on a cell phone while trying to watch the road and monitor scores of young children at the same time?The answer appears obvious.By Ron Gowerrgower@tnonline.com