Understanding the Dangers of Distracted Driving


The average tractor-trailer weighs about 80,000 pounds, more than 20 times the weight of the average automobile. The tractor trailer will take nearly 550 feet to make an emergency stop. The average car or small truck takes about 315 feet to stop. Federal traffic officials say nearly 95 percent of traffic crashes stem from distracted driving.

What do all these numbers mean? Simply, distracted driving poses a serious danger to life, limb and property.

However, experts say taking some simple precautions to avoid both distracted truck driving and distracted driving in cars can prevent most crashes, like putting away your phone.

FMCSA Establishes Traffic Regulations for Trucks

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration bars CMV drivers from both reaching for mobile devices or using them during driving. Drivers are also prohibited from pressing more than one button on mobile devices while driving. However, they may use hands-free devices to communicate provided they don’t press more than one button to talk. Use of voice-activated devices is permitted.
Fines for using hand-held phones while driving can reach $2,250 per incident and increase for repeat offenses.

Analyses by federal authorities found that risks of crashes rose more than 23 times when drivers used mobile devices for texting while driving. Even talking or listening to hands-free devices increased the crash risk 40 percent, according to a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study.

Governments in 39 states and the District of Columbia ban text messaging by all drivers. The study also stated that teen drivers are four times more likely to crash while driving distracted than adults.

Tips for Staying Safe

American Trucking Associations offer five tips to help avoid distracted driving crashes:
  1. Keep your phone out of sight and even forget you have it
  2. Don’t text while driving
  3. Prepare yourself to drive before driving
  4. Make sure everything is properly secured in your commercial van or truck before driving
  5. Set a good example for others by talking about the importance of safety, especially with younger, less experienced drivers

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hire a refrigerated van fleet to access great service at minimal cost

Image
Vehicle acquisition makes up a huge part of business fleet costs, particularly when that fleet operates within a cold chain. In this blog, we examine why   refrigerated truck rental   holds the key to acquiring high-quality service at a low cost. Why choose refrigerated vans? First thing’s first - which vehicle model is best for your business needs? Needless to say, there is a healthy demand for refrigerated HGVS. However, for many small businesses operating a cold chain, refrigerated vans can pose the best solution. Refrigerated transport is often used for relatively small loads - such as online food shopping, events catering, or fresh produce deliveries to small stores. In each of these situations, a refrigerated van may be the most suitably sized vehicle. On top of this, congestion on the roads is getting worse. Research by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) found that vehicle traffic has increased by 5% since 2000, while the length of the road netwo...
Read more

Anheuser-Busch to add 21 BYD electric delivery trucks to California fleets

Image
It seems Anheuser-Busch is set on trying every type of alternative-fuel-powered delivery truck available. In 2017, A-B announced it had ordered 40 electric Tesla semi-trucks. In 2018, A-B said it ordered as many as 800 hydrogen Nikola Motor Company semis. And in 2019, A-B says it is adding 21 battery-electric semis to its distribution fleet, this time from Chinese manufacturer Build Your Dreams (BYD). The introduction of the electric trucks is part of a collaboration between A-B, BYD, the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), and ENGIE Services U.S. It's called the Zero-Emission Beverage Handling and Distribution at Scale project, and it aims to "demonstrate how to reach zero-emissions across the range of activities at AB distribution facilities with minimal modifications to fleet logistics." A-B claims this will be the largest Class 8 electric truck deployment in North America. The trucks and their charging gear will be used at four...
Read more

Refrigerated Vans for Deliveries and Trailers for Storage

Image
Several news articles published this past spring described the good work of a well-known online supermarket that donated refrigerated vans to local food charities. What the company did was both honorable and very helpful to the charities in question. News reports explained that the purpose of the donations was to give food charities the means of delivering more fresh foods – like perishable fruits, vegetables, and meats – to recipients rather than just canned and dry goods. That is a great goal to pursue. Hopefully the food charities are not using the vans for storage as well. In short, refrigerated vans are for deliveries while refrigerated trailers are for storage. There really is no comparison when you are looking at a cold storage solution for more than a couple of hours at a time. Trailers Offer More Capacity One of the first things to note about refrigerated trailers is that, compared to refrigerated van hire, they offer more c...
Read more