Indiana is a major trucker thoroughfare, and if you are like many residents, you may feel a bit uncomfortable trying to drive your own car among these much larger, heavier vehicles. Just as you face distractions while you drive, whether they involve eating, looking out the window or what have you, truck drivers, too, face similar distractions. Giving in to them may prove even more dangerous when behind the wheel of a multi-ton vehicle, making it critical that trucking companies train their drivers about various distractions for the safety of everyone on the roadway.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that driver distraction is a factor in more than 70 percent of large truck-involved accidents, and that there are some particularly common trucker distractions that place you and other motorists at risk. Using a dispatch service for directions or another reason, for example, is among today’s more common trucker distractions. It also increases a truck driver’s odds of becoming involved in a safety-critical incident nine times over.
Truckers who eat and drink while at their vehicle’s controls also endanger you and your passengers, but this is often common practice, given the strict schedules and timelines to which many semi-truck drivers must adhere. While it may not receive as much attention as, say, texting and driving, one study also indicated that eating or drinking behind the wheel was even more dangerous than speaking on a cellphone while driving.
While truckers can make strides to enhance public safety by avoiding eating or using dispatch services on the job, some common distractions are tougher to avoid. Just as you may tend to look at billboards, storefronts or accidents you pass, truckers often do the same, so they must train themselves to avoid such distractions while commanding vehicles that can cause such considerable damage.
This information about trucker distractions seeks to inform you, but please do not interpret it as legal advice.