WASHINGTON — U.S Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a proposal that makes permanent an interim ban on texting for truck drivers while behind the wheel.

In February, the DOT issued sample legislation to make it easier for state traffic officers to enforce the federal regulation banning truck drivers from texting while driving.

FMCSA is also working on additional regulatory measures that will be announced in the coming months.

The DOT also announced a partnership with Cornell University to increase public involvement and collaboration in the rulemaking process.

The Cornell e-Rulemaking Initiative (CeRI) partnership will make the federal regulatory process more accessible to the public through Regulation Room, an online public participation environment where people can learn about and discuss proposed federal regulations and provide effective feedback to the Department.

FMCSA research shows that drivers who send and receive text messages take their eyes off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds out of every 6 seconds while texting.