There’s been a lot of talk lately about the dangers of distracted driving through the use of cell phones. Even so, little has been said about the dangers truck drivers face when texting or talking on a cell phone, even though doing so poses a far greater danger for them. CNN recently reported on this issue, providing some startling statistics on just how dangerous cell phone usage is for truckers.
According to CNN, truck drivers who text while operating a big rig are 23 times more likely to have an accident or near-accident than those who are not texting. What’s more, simply using a cell phone disproportionately increases a trucker’s risk of an accident. Truck drivers are 5.9 times as likely to have an accident while dialing, compared with 2.8 times for automobile operators.
Even reaching for a ringing cell phone is far more dangerous for truckers. Big rig operators are 6.7 times more likely to have an accident while reaching for a cell phone than other truck drivers. Automobile drivers increase their risk only 1.4 times by reaching for a cell phone.
These startling numbers show that more should be done to prevent truck drivers from using their cell phones while driving. Although a federal law was passed in 2010 outlawing truck and bus drivers from texting and driving, it nonetheless remains a significant problem. Trucking companies should take a proactive approach to preventing accidents by educating their drivers about the dangers of texting and driving, and applying strong sanctions to those that violate the rules. Doing so could save them money on their commercial truck insurance , in addition to ensuring the safety of everyone.
To find out more about this issue or anything else related to the trucking industry in general including big rig insurance, please contact us.
