Are Truckers Being Driven to Distraction?

Truck drivers in Illinois spend hours driving each day, and they may be distracted by things that are both inside their truck cabs and outside of them. When drivers are distracted while driving, they place both themselves and others at risk. It is important for drivers to be mindful of the types of things that can distract them and avoid those things while they are driving. When truck drivers are distracted while they drive, they may cause accidents because their attention is not focused on the road. A truck accident attorney may help victims of distracted truck drivers to recover damages for their resulting losses.

Distractions Inside of the Cab

Anything that takes a driver’s eyes and attention away from the road while they are driving may cause truck accidents. These include such things as using dispatching devices, dialing on the cell phone, texting, eating and adjusting the stereo. If the truck driver is part of a team, he or she may also be distracted by talking to the other team driver. Driver distractions can be very dangerous. For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that if a driver looks at his or her cell phone for five seconds to read a text message while driving at 55 mph, the truck will travel the length of a football field while the driver’s eyes are off of the road. It is illegal for truck drivers to text while they drive. The FMCSA banned truck drivers from trucking and driving following a 2009 study of its dangers.

Distractions Outside of the Cab

Things outside of the truck can also draw a truck driver’s attention away from the road and endanger others. Drivers may be distracted by looking at billboards, people, and buildings. Anything that draws a driver’s attention away from the road may be a dangerous distraction. For instance, if a driver is looking at a billboard and fails to notice that traffic has slowed in front of him or her, he or she may not have enough time to brake in order to avoid causing a major collision. By keeping their attention focused on the roads and the cars around them, truck drivers may be better able to avoid collisions that might otherwise happen.

Distracted driving is a major problem for all drivers, including commercial vehicle drivers. A truck accident attorney may work to prove that driver distraction caused a client’s accident and injuries.