Truck Drivers and Smartphones: A Disastrous Combo

Distracted driving can lead to serious car crashes, especially when the accident involves a large truck with the ability to cause terrible damage. Unfortunately, truck accidents are rising every year, and one leading cause of that is the use of smartphones by truck drivers. Truck drivers keep driving for hours without a break, and it is understandable that they want to keep themselves entertained, but that is no excuse for carelessly using their smartphones for personal purposes.

According to the American Trucking Association, more than 10 billion tons of freight, that is more than 70% of all freight handled domestically, were moved by commercial trucks in 2022. There were 4,714 truck-related fatal accidents in the same year, and sadly, people in passenger cars die in truck accidents more often than not.

Due to their large weight and speed, a truck accident and the injuries caused by that event can be horrifying. If you have been a victim of such an accident, contact a car accident lawyer to file a personal injury lawsuit and receive the compensation that you deserve for the injuries.

Smartphone Use by Truck Drivers Leads to Disastrous Truck Accidents

Many truck drivers work extremely tight delivery schedules and have very little free time, and as a result, they often use their smartphones to call or text while driving. This may impair their ability to take quick action, making it harder for them to respond swiftly to avoid an accident.

Trucks are bulkier and more difficult to handle, and it is estimated that a truck driver on the phone when takes their eyes off the road for 3-5 seconds at a time, and if the truck is moving at 50 mph, it covers a considerable distance in just those few seconds. This means that only a few seconds of distraction can cause a truck accident, and the truck will end up destroying everything in its path.

1. Texting while Driving

Most people these days use their smartphones to text their family and friends, and distracted driving incidents have significantly increased as a result of the widespread use of this practice. Driving while keeping their smartphone on often tempts drivers to check their phones when they hear the notification of a new text message, and they feel the need to reply immediately without stopping the truck.

The problem is that texting demands the driver’s visual, physical, and cognitive attention, and the truck driver risks missing important information, such as a lane change signal or another truck coming their way. While texting, the driver’s eyes are off the road, and the driver might not have enough time to respond to the situation and cause a lethal accident because of that.

2. Talking on the Phone

Talking on the phone can seriously reduce a driver’s ability to concentrate on the road, even when they are using hands-free devices, because talking to another person takes the driver’s cognitive focus away from the road.

It slows down the driver’s response time and situation awareness and this is particularly risky when driving a large truck at a high speed. A driver may momentarily lose focus while just swiping the receive call button on their smartphone, which might result in them veering into the lane of oncoming traffic and crashing with another vehicle.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, even the most experienced truck drivers end up causing disastrous accidents because they were replying to a text on their smartphone or receiving a phone call while driving. If you or a loved one has been in a truck accident and want to get compensated for the property damages and bodily injuries caused by the accident, you may sue the driver or the truck company for compensation.

Contact a car accident lawyer who knows how to deal with these types of lawsuits and can get their client the highest compensation for their suffering and trouble.