The Dangers of Text Messaging on The Road

Truck Drivers who feel safe text messaging while driving may want to read the report from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Virginia Tech Transportation Institute was partially funded by FMCSA to study the amount of time drivers took their eyes from the road to text message, either by sending or receiving.

The study showed a drastic increase above past studies of the same issue. Text messaging is much riskier than a lot of other driving distractions. In fact, Matt Richetel of the New York Times states that the FMCSA reported that truck drivers were 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident if text messaging while driving.

The study was held by video cameras installed in truck cabs for 18 months to monitor drivers as they drove. Results were frightening. The Virginia Tech Institute’s director, Tom Dingus, stated “You should never do this,” he said of text messaging while driving. “It should be illegal.”

The University of Utah conducted a simulation of equipment study for text messaging on truck drivers instead of the real thing and they also came up with some disturbing statistics. They found that those drivers that text messaged were 8 times more likely to cause an accident. Even though the University of Utah’s simulation tests were not as high in accident ratios as that of a monitor in a cab, David Strayer who worked on the testing at U of U feels it is only because real trucks are tougher to maneuver and younger college students are better at multitasking than older drivers on the road. To see the complete NYTIMES article, click here.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/technology/28texting.html?_r=4&hp


Tags: drivingdistractions, textmessagingwhiledriving, TruckDrivingJobs
Posted in Trucking News | 3 Comments »