Texting While Driving Large Commercial Trucks

Understanding the Dangers of Texting Truck Drivers

Texting while driving is a hazardous decision to make. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), texting is one of the rare activities that combines all three kinds of distraction: visual, manual, and cognitive. It is for this reason that drivers who are texting while driving are four times as likely to get into an accident than those who were not. In fact, texting drivers showed a level of impairment similar to drivers who were under the influence of alcohol. Drivers of large trucks are no different.

While many classify them as professional drivers and do not believe they are prone to the same dangerous behaviors as a regular driver, they are just as likely to get distracted by handheld devices. In fact, a study held by Virginia Tech's Transportation Institute found that texting drivers were 23 times more likely to get into an accident as their non-texting counterparts. Beyond that, it was found that for every 6 seconds a driver spent sending a text message, they were only looking at the road for 1.4 seconds.

Truck Drivers Banned from Texting by Federal Law

Statistics such as those shown above has led to federal initiative to ban truck drivers from being able to pick up their phones. While there are several state-level laws that ban drivers from using their handheld devices—and other states that ban inexperienced drivers from texting—there are still many different states that have no such ban in place.

For truck drivers who frequently cross state lines, this can pose a serious problem.

This led to a release from DOT in 2010 that announced that any commercial drivers who were found to be picking up their phone would be in danger of experiencing both civil and criminal penalties—including a monetary fine that could top out at $2,750. This, however, is not necessarily viewed as strict enough and many are looking at the FMCSA to introduce stricter legislation.

Have You Been Injured by a Texting Driver?

Unfortunately, texting drivers are not only endangering themselves, they are also putting every other driver on the road in danger of being involved in catastrophic crashes. If you have recently been injured in a truck accident that was caused by a driver who was distracted by texting behind the wheel, it is highly important that you do not hesitate to get the involvement of a truck accident attorney who you can trust to help you file the claim and take the necessary legal action.

Arnold & Itkin is just the firm to help protect your rights. Based in Houston, TX, we have secured billions of dollars on behalf of our clients. We are well-versed in personal injury law and have a legal team composed of uniquely skilled lawyers. Throughout our legal careers, we have handled more cases than most lawyers have handled in a lifetime. With this level of experience on your side, you can rest assured knowing that your case is in trustworthy hands.

Do not hesitate to contact a truck accident lawyer from our firm to schedule your free case review.