LOS ANGELES — A lawsuit brought by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen against Los Angeles Metrolink to eliminate inward-facing video cameras in the cab has been dismissed by a judge here. Superior Court Judge Luis Lavin said the inward-facing cameras, which monitor crew activities in the cab, do not violate privacy rights, reports [...]
Safety Task Force alert: Electronic device ban
April 4, 2011
The Federal Railroad Administration’s permanent ban on use of electronic devices, including cellphones, became effective March 28. Please make careful note of the following: In the event of a collision, derailment or fatality, one of the first actions taken by National Transportation Safety Board investigators is pull the phone records of all crew members involved. [...]
Rail cellphone ban permanent March 28
March 24, 2011
The Federal Railroad Administration’s ban on the use of cellphones and other electronic devices — personal and carrier-issued — becomes permanent Monday, March 28. The ban applies to all on-duty train crew members. Don’t let a railroad or federal safety inspector make an example of you in proving a dedication to enforcement of the ban. [...]
A ‘ring, ring’ may cost you your job
February 11, 2011
The Federal Railroad Administration has a stark message for rail workers with safety-related duties: Only use your cell phone when allowed or you could lose your job. Emergency Order No. 26, which went into effect in October 2008, restricts the use by train crews and others in safety-sensitive positions of cell phones and other electronic [...]
Federal cellphone ban for bus drivers
December 20, 2010
WASHINGTON – A national ban on cell-phone use by bus drivers has been proposed by the U.S. DOT. It is expected to be put in place before March. Bus drivers already are banned by federal regulation from texting while working. “Every time a commercial truck or bus driver takes his or her eyes off the road to [...]
FRA to make cell-phone ban permanent
October 1, 2010
WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration has announced it will make permanent its Emergency Order No. 26 restricting the use by on-duty train crews of cell phones and other electronic devices. Some changes, as described below, are to be included in the permanent ban. The emergency order was issued in October 2008, and the permanent [...]
FRA: Rails can discipline camera disabling
June 6, 2010
The Federal Railroad Administration, following disciplinary action by Los Angeles Metrolink against two operating employees who disabled an inward facing camera in the locomotive cab, said that while the agency does not now regulate cab-installed inward facing cameras, it “does not condone the disabling of any devices.” Moreover, said the FRA, “In instances where a [...]
FRA proposes permanent cell-phone ban
May 18, 2010
The Federal Railroad Administration is moving to make permanent an October 2008 emergency order restricting the use by on-duty train crews of cell phones and other electronic devices. A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published Tuesday, May 18, in the Federal Register, indicating a final rule, supplanting FRA Emergency Order No. 26, is to go [...]
Deiser: Distracted bus drivers a safety risk
November 25, 2009
By Richard DeiserVice president and director, Bus Dept. One of the most important issues facing the motor carrier industry is distracted driving. Safe driving requires total concentration — not just on our own part, as we must also worry about other drivers not paying attention to what they are doing. In fact, distraction can occur [...]
UTU, BLET seek cell-phone ban fixes
November 17, 2008
The UTU and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen filed on Nov. 14 a joint petition for review by the Federal Railroad Administration of the FRA’s so-called emergency cell phone order, requesting that the FRA make additional exceptions to the order in the name of safety. The ban, effective Oct. 27, applies to any [...]
