• 14
  • November
    2011

Distracted driving by Florida car drivers has received intense scrutiny in the press in recent years. Less discussed, but just as important, is distracted driving by Florida truck drivers.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that truck drivers be banned from using cell phones while they are driving. This includes both handheld and hands-free devices, and it covers both talking and texting.

NTSB is highly critical of commercial truck drivers who use cell phones while they are driving. While NTSB has advised the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that commercial driver-license holders not be allowed to use cell phones while they are working, it does not make the laws; rather, it provides recommendations on what the rules should be.

Reasons Behind Proposed Ban on Truckers' Use of Mobile Phones

A Texas Transportation Institute study shows that texting while driving can more than double the reaction time of the driver. In a 2010 Kentucky crash, a truck crossed the median and smashed into a van, killing 10 people and the truck driver. The trucker had been using his cell phone frequently and had placed a call just before the truck accident.

Crashes between semi-trucks and smaller vehicles can be especially deadly to the occupants of the smaller vehicles. The disparity in size and weight between semis and cars or SUVs can lead to death or serious injuries such as broken bones, spinal cord injuries or severe head injuries.

When devastating injuries happen because of a trucker's negligence, such as distracted driving, it can seem all the more painful. NTSB's recommendations to end mobile phone use by truckers could prevent many Florida truck crashes.

Source: NBC News, NTSB Wants Nationwide Ban on Mobile Use by Commercial Drivers, Frank Heinz, 10/13/11