Up to 40% of all commercial truck accidents are caused by distracted driving. In 2018, there were 4,832 deaths caused by distracted truck drivers. That number was 4,977 in 2019 and 4,777 in 2020, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administratio n. The categories of distracted driving tracked by the FMCSA include: Talking or Listening to Cellular Phone Other Cellular Phone Related Using or Reaching For Device/Object Brought Into Vehicle Eating or Drinking Dialing/Manipulating Cellular Phone a Lost In Thought/Day Dreaming Adjusting Audio and/or Climate Controls Using Other Device/Controls Integral to Vehicle Distracted By Other Occupant(s) Careless/Inattentive Distracted By Moving Object in Vehicle Distraction/Careless Looked But Did Not See Smoking Related Cell phone use by truck drivers It’s important to note that the FMCSA prohibits texting and the use of handheld devices by truck drivers. Violations can result in fines, and even suspension of commercial driver’s licenses. Drivers who use handheld devices are 4x more likely to be in a serious crash. Text messaging increases the risk of a collision by 23 times. Cell phone use delays a driver’s reaction time as much as a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08%. How does distracted driving affect truck drivers’ performance? Distracted driving can slow the driver’s perception of traffic events, resulting in delayed reaction times. Slow reaction times may cause incorrect steering, too much brake pressure or inaccurate accelerator pressure. What can trucking companies do to reduce distracted driving by truck drivers? Require regular distracted driving training for drivers; Install distracted driving software which blocks use of social media, streaming video and texting while driving; Develop a distracted driving policy and require each employee to sign it, requiring them to agree to follow the policy. Enforce their distracted driving policy—and reprimand employees who fail to follow the policy. Educate dispatchers: Dispatchers shouldn’t expect immediate responses if drivers are on the road. Remind drivers to set their voicemail and call forwarding when on the road. Use driver facing cameras to ensure compliance with the safety rules. If you have been the victim of distracted driving by a commercial driver, Wham & Rogers can help you. We can rapidly respond to a collision in order to download the electronic control module and when necessary, download the phone of the distracted driver. Call 832-592-1108 or text (832) 413-1428‬ for a free consultation. ‬