Truck drivers spend countless hours on the road. While many truckers receive extensive training on everything from safety to defensive driving, it doesn’t mean they’ll never make mistakes while behind the wheel.
Distracted driving is a major concern in the trucking industry. Here are some of the most common distractions among truckers:
- Eating and drinking: Truckers don’t often want to waste time by stopping, so they eat and drink while driving.
- Texting and talking: It may be against the law, but some truckers still text and talk on handheld devices while operating their vehicles.
- Reading a map or using a GPS: Truckers need to make it to their destination in a fast and efficient manner. Doing so often means using a mapping or GPS system while their vehicle is in motion.
- Daydreaming: The more hours a trucker spends on the road, the more likely it is that their mind will wander.
- Outside distractions: This can include everything from billboards on the side of the road to wildlife to other vehicles and pedestrians.
You expect commercial truckers to obey the rules of the road, which means paying attention at all times. Unfortunately, they don’t always do this, and you can’t do anything about it.
If a commercial trucker causes an accident, your safety and health take priority over everything else. Seek medical attention even if you don’t initially think you’ve been injured. Then, get legal help holding the trucker or the trucking company responsible for your financial losses and other damages.