The Penalties and Risks of Distracted Driving as a Truck Driver

It is not just average motorists that are banned from texting and driving. There are federal laws that prohibit the use of cellphones while operating a semi-truck or tractor trailer. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has created new rules that restrict drivers from texting or using hand-held mobile devices while operating a bus or truck or any classified commercial motor vehicle (CMV).

According to the FMCA’s research, the odds of being involved in a crash, near-crash, lane deviation or other safety-critical event increase 23.2 times more for CMV drivers that text while driving than those who do not. Texting operators take their eyes away from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds. When traveling at 55 miles per hour, this equates to 371 feet – the length of a football field – without ever looking at the roadway.
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An Increase in Traffic Fatalities Nationwide

So far in 2015 there has been a 14 percent increase in traffic-related fatalities. This is the deadliest traffic year since 2007, which is cause for concern. In 2015 there were more than 18,600 motor-vehicle deaths from January to June – compared to a total of 16,400 deaths in the first six months of 2014. The cost of these accident-related deaths and property damage is estimated at $152 billion – which is up by 24 percent from 2014.

What is Causing the Increase in Traffic Deaths?

Unfortunately the increase in the accident fatalities for 2015 is primarily distracted driving. Because drivers are easily distracted on the roads – whether by a smartphone, tablet, or even by their vehicle’s GPS system – they are no longer watching the road ahead. This distraction has led to more accidents and obviously more deaths than years prior. According to the NSC, American drivers are addicted to their devices and they would rather sacrifice their own safety than put their devices down long enough to drive.
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