I don’t know, which is why I’m asking. There are laws that regulate what vehicle operators in general can/cannot do while driving, and there are a whole separate set of laws that govern what drivers of limousines and buses may/may not/must/must not do while driving a limo/bus full of passengers. Just wondering if distracting the driver by engaging him/her in conversation while driving is specifically prohibited or not.
I fully expect that professional bus drivers know what the answer is, given that they receive special training for their jobs. I wouldn’t expect the general public to know.
This link basically says distracted driving is dangerous, and lists “talking to passengers” as one type of distraction - but the link only mentions texting while driving as being specifically illegal.
From that link:
Despite the title of the article, “Distracted driving of any type now a civil infraction in Warren”, The phrase “…in such a way that it endangers drivers, pedestrians or property” does provide leeway for police judgment in whether to issue a citation.
If it is illegal, then I’ve brokon that law hundreds of times. I often engage the edriver in friendly chitchat, especially to tell them if they give good service.
OTOH, I have heard bus drivers tell unruly, loud passengers (particularly those on their cell phones) to quiet down or leave the bus. When one passenger refused to do either, the driver threatened to call the police on her. She let, making threats about calling the company and lawsuits.
I think it’s entirely the driver’s call. If a driver tells me not to talk to thm, I immediately shut up.
And yes, those passengers who stop the bus and try to get information on other buses are a pain in the butt in this day of Internet apps.
Or just yammering away on the minutiae of the day. Some lonely folks will latch onto any captive audience and spend as much time as they can get away with bending their ears, and I’ve certainly observed this firsthand. I’m guessing that, even where not illegal, the no-talking rule is a bus company statute which allows the driver to tell unwanted yammerers to sit down and shut up. Conversely I’ve seen drivers chatting while driving with people they apparently wanted to talk to.
If it was explicitly prohibited by a law (rather than a possible interpretation of a general law about distracted driving), I suspect that the sign would read something along the lines of “Speaking to the driver while the bus is in motion is prohibited by law.”
Troy has a similar law that prohibits any type of distracted driving, so does Detroit. I suspect city ordinance is going to be more specific than statewide.
I seem to remember that the notices posted on intercity buses said something about Interstate Commerce Commission regulations, and I’ll bet there was one that could be interpreted that way. But the ICC was eliminated in the 1980s, and I’m not sure where to look nowadays. Surface Transportation Board regs?
I drive a transit bus requiring a CDL w/passenger endorsement.
In our CDL Drivers Manual;
Sec 4 Transporting Passengers Safely,
4.5 Prohibited Practices
… Don’t talk with riders, or engage in
any other distracted activity, while driving.
The rule is directed at the driver.
I would bet there are DOT enforceable laws to back up everything Prohibited.
Yes i, and all of us do communicate with our passengers as needed.