Texting Ban for Semi Truck Drivers
The ban on 'texting and driving' by commercial drivers of any type - semi-truck drivers, bus drivers and others - has been in effect for nearly two years. Violators can be fined up to $2750.
This decision was made in light of statistics that show a semi-truck can travel the length (and then some) of a football field in the short 5 seconds it takes for a driver to look away from the road (at a conservative 55 m.p.h.) - and that can and has had disastrous results over and over in the last decade.
Certainly drivers all across the country applaud the efforts of the United States Department of Transportation to keep our roadways safer.
One study conducted at Virginia Tech University recently revealed that commercial drivers who engage in the act of 'texting while driving' were actually 23 times more likely than their non-texting counterparts to be involved in an accident or 'near-miss'. Therefore, the ban has the potential to make a significant impact on the injury and fatality 'bottom line'.
Unfortunately, the DOT was unable to address an additionally hazardous behavior of many Fed Ex and U.P.S. drivers that lead to fed ex truck accidents and UPS truck accidents. These commercial vehicles come equipped with 'in-cab' computers that allow drivers to carry out numerous distracting behaviors including scanning packages for pick-up and delivery as well as receive and respond to messages from the dispatcher.
While it seems apparent that these types of actions are equally preoccupying - the DOT does not have oversight of commercial on-board computer systems. Any decisions regarding this would require them to convene the higher powers of our lawmakers. I urge you to contact your lawmakers and weigh in on the matter.
Truck accident attorneys provide a method to seek justice after the fact but the key is to prevent wrongful death lawsuits in the first place.
