Cell Phones and Other Driver Distractions More Directly Related to Semi Truck Accidents
A recent study showed that driver distractions such as cell phones, text messaging devnceis and dispatch devices are contributing to serious crashes involving semi trucks moreso than regular vehicles, according to an article on www.Truckinginfo.com. The study looked at about three million miles of video from the inside of semi trucks driven by 200 drivers. The study concluded that some form of driver distraction was involved in 100% of the crashes involving semi trucks.
As personal injury and wrongful death lawyers who see a variety of serious semi truck accidents, we are often faced with the question of how a semi truck driver can be so careless and crash into a line of cars stopped ain traffic or miss some other obvious hazard when these drivers are supposed to be professional drivers and have a better vantage point with their elevated cab areas. This article helps shed light on the dangers of distractions that are present with semi truck drivers that are un fortunately becomign more common as handheld technology advances. The article indicates that when a semi truck driver is texting a message, he/she typically is looking away from the road for about 5 seconds. Consider that a semi truck traveling at 60 miles per hours travels about 440 feet in 5 seconds. When the semi truck driver is dialing a cell phone or using the dispatch device, he/she is looking away from the road for approxiamtely 4 seconds. Of course, these risks and distractions are present with people who drive cars, SUV's and small trucks, but the study concluded that the risks are greater with semi trucks because they are harder to maneuver and stop in an emergency.
When we represent clients who have been injured in an accident by a semi truck, we always investigate the potential for driver distraction. As studies like this attest, when a semi truck driver (or other driver) causes an accident based on his/her carelessness, cell phones, etxt messaging devices or other distractions are often present. When a large, fast-moving semi truck is involved, these factors raise the bar in terms of the semi truck driver's negligence and the compensation for injuries due to our clients.
