Truck Drivers Who Text Message are 23 Times More Likely to Get into an Accident

A new study by the New York Times is reporting that truck drivers who text message while on the road are 23 times more likely to get into an accident.

The study was funded by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [FMCSA. Their goal was to determine the effects of truck drivers who text message and the rate of accidents when they do. The study was run by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which spent $300,000 and 18 months videotaping long-haul truck drivers and their texting habits.

Because texting while driving is a relatively new concept, there are very few studies which explain the effects texting can have. The few studies that have been conducted were unable to definitively conclude at the real effects that texting while driving has.

This new study concluded that long-haul truck drivers took their eyes off the road for 5 seconds before or near a crash. This small amount of time was sufficient to cause the driver to lose focus and cause or be part of an accident. Also, the study noted that truck drivers do not text any more than regular drivers.

The New York Times discussed a study on simulated driving done by the University of Utah. That study concluded that participants were eight times more likely to crash while texting and driving simultaneously.

The conclusion reached by the New York Times study and the University of Utah is that texting while driving may be a more recent concept, but it doesn’t take more than a few studies to know the inherent dangers that drivers face when they take their eyes off the road.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is set to publish a survey on Thursday which observed that 95% of participants said texting was unacceptable behavior while driving. However, 21% of them reported sending an email or text while driving recently.

The question remains why so many truck drivers, and drivers in general, continue to text while driving, despite knowing the numerous risks. Accidents will continue to occur until the laws are changed and people realize the danger that texting while driving can have on others.

In my opinion, the trucking company can be held liable for not having a policy that is strictly enforced in requiring the non-use of a cell phone while driving

Copyright by Steve Gordon & Todd Elias

Truck Accident Law

July 28, 2009