Free car insurance quote – Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Tuesday that text messaging by drivers of large trucks and buses has been banned.

Offenders could be charged with up to $2,750 in fines and penalties.

Research has found that truck drivers regularly look away from the road when sending and receiving text messages, increasing the likelihood of an accident significantly. Some companies ban employees from texting while driving a company vehicle.

The National Safety Council estimates that 200,000 crashes are caused each year by drivers who are text messaging.

Nearly half of all states have banned text messaging while driving, and other states are considering similar legislation.