If you have the urge to check your iPhone messages while you are driving your truck, think again before doing so. A study by the Federal Government of distracted driving in commercial vehicle operations found that, not surprisingly, 78% of car crashes were caused by driver distraction and inattention while driving. A similar percentage of trucking accidents also involved driver distraction as a contributing factor to the cause of the accident.
Conclusions reached by the study included the following recommendations:
-
Educating truck drivers about the dangers posed by inattentive driving, including such seemingly innocuous acts like reaching for something in the truck
-
Minimizing the use of in-vehicle devices while driving, including items brought into the truck
-
Not using dispatching devices while driving unless the truck is pulled over to the side of the road
-
Refraining from texting or manually dialing cell phones while driving
-
Refraining from reading or studying maps while driving
Some of the recommendations were directed at designers of dispatching instruments, who should consider making more user-friendly interfaces that do not distract the driver’s eyes from the road. Other recommendations were directed to the designers of dashboards and other instrument panels to reduce the risk associated with adjusting panel controls while driving.
Trucking accidents are much more dangerous than car accidents given the large size and weight of the trucks involved which causes an increased amount of damage. If you have any questions following a truck accident, contact me to discuss your options.
