Feds says mobile phone use by commercial drivers should be banned after deadly crash kills eleven

WASHINGTON - The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending a ban on the use of cell phones by commercial drivers except in emergencies.

The recommendation comes after the driver of an 18-wheel semi was involved in an accident near Mundfordville, Kentucky, that killed 11 people .

The accident allegedly happened while the 45-year-old driver was using a mobile device.

The truck crossed a median and struck a passenger van killing 10 occupants and the truck driver.

Investigators say the driver made calls and sent text messages a total of 69 times while driving in the 24-hour period prior to the accident .

And the investigation determined the deceased truck driver made four calls in the minutes leading up to the fatal crash.

His last call coincided with the time his truck crossed over a 60-foot wide median into on-coming traffic.

NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman said in a news release, "Distracted driving is becoming increasingly prevalent, exacerbating the danger we encounter daily on our roadways and it can be especially lethal when the distracted driver is at the wheel of a vehicle that weighs 40 tons and travels at highway speeds."

Because median crossover accidents involving large vehicles are so deadly, the NTSB made recommendations regarding the use of appropriately designed median barriers on roadways with high volumes of commercial vehicles.

NTSB issued 15 new safety recommendations to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), all 50 states, and the District of Columbia.