A new study has identified that texting truckers are more dangerous than other drivers attempting to manipulate their phone.
According to a recent transportation study conducted by the Transportation Institute Center for Truck and Bus Safety, truckers who engage in texting while operating their vehicle are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash or a near-accident than an undistracted driver.
Are Texting Truckers Really that Dangerous?
Car drivers face the highest risk of danger when dialing their cell phones, according to that same study. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that the likelihood of a crash associated with cell phone use disproportionately affects texting truckers when compared with car drivers.
For example, the chance of an accident for a truck driver in general is 5.9 times more likely versus 2.8 times more likely for a car driver. If a trucker even reaches for an electronic device, it can increase his or her risk because the risk for a crash is 6.7 times whereas a similar risk for a traditional vehicle operator is only 1.4 times as high.
Truckers only had better results in the study when comparing their results in terms of listening or talking on a cell phone. Researchers analyzed video footage of texting truckers and other behaviors behind the wheel to determine how engaged drivers were with the road while using their phones.
Truck Drivers and Trucking Accidents
A traditional 18-wheeler truck can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. In an accident, the weight of the truck and even the cargo itself becomes dangerous for anyone else involved in the wreck. The high risk for texting truckers had to do with pulling their focus away from the road and instead looking at their phone overall.
Text messaging requires constant engagement with the phone and requires cognitive awareness of what is being sent and received. Texting truckers could cause severe and life changing accidents..
Texting and mobile phone restrictions already exist for commercial motor vehicle drivers and are published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
No texting while driving is allowed and, as it relates to these prohibitions, texting refers to reading texts from or manipulating alphanumeric text into an electronic device, including instant messaging, emailing, text messaging or sending requests to a webpage.
Commercial motor vehicle drivers are prohibited from holding or reaching for a mobile phone in order to conduct voice communication. Close proximity and a hands-free phone is the only way that someone can engage in this behavior.
Texting truckers have the potential to cause catastrophic accidents, particularly if there are hazardous materials on board. If you or someone you know has been involved in a serious accident caused by a texting trucker, you may have grounds to pursue a personal injury claim for compensation.
The experienced personal injury attorneys at McDonald Worley take on cases from injured trucking accident victims. Call today for a FREE case review!