The People’s Lawyer

Researchers say truckers who are distracted a major crash risk

On Behalf of | Aug 24, 2021 | Truck Accidents

In West Virginia and across the United States, it is known how dangerous distracted driving can be. Because it removes a driver’s focus from the road, there is less time to react to unexpected occurrences; the driver might stray from lanes; it is easier to run through red lights and stop signs; and other vehicles, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians are put in jeopardy. Legislators and law enforcement try to address this issue by emphasizing its risk, but drivers continue to drive distracted. This is especially problematic with truckers. A recent study assessed distracted driving with truckers and the statistics were worrisome.

Video-based analysis highlights distracted driving dangers

Omintracs used video evidence of drivers as they were in the cabs of their trucks and other information to come to its conclusions. Assessing more than 29 billion miles driven, it found that drivers who are most distracted have a 72% higher chance of having a near-accident; have double the chance of being in an actual accident; are more than three times as likely to exceed the speed limit by more than 10 mph; are 2.3 times as likely to drift from their lane; and have 2.7 times the likelihood to go through traffic lights and stop signs.

This information coincides with a troubling 8% spike in distracted driving fatalities in 2020. Since fewer drivers were on the road for much of 2020 because of the health situation, these numbers should be particularly fear-inducing for people as they take to the roads. In two years, the rate of fatalities on the nation’s roadways rose by one-quarter even though people drove 13% fewer miles. Because trucks are so large and travel at such speeds, a distracted trucker can cause untold damage and its prevalence seems to be growing worse.

Those impacted by truck accidents must consider their future

When there is a truck crash, there is a significant chance of severe personal injury and death. This can spark enormous medical expenses, the inability to work as they did before, the need for help from family members and extensive financial, personal and emotional challenges. After a truck accident, it is imperative to know how and why it happened. If distracted driving was a factor, it could be crucial to determining how to move forward. Taking on a truck company can be complicated as they have massive resources to combat claims. From the start, it is useful to have experienced advice to analyze the situation and craft a comprehensive strategy.