Distracted driving rules truck drivers must follow

Important rules regulate truck driver texting while driving. These rules are federally set and are important for truck drivers and trucking companies to abide by. Because truck accidents have the power to cause catastrophic injuries and harm to victims, truck accident victims should also know what they can do if they are injured by a negligent driver such as a truck driver who was texting while driving.

Both texting while driving and the use of a handheld mobile phone is limited for truck drivers and other drivers of commercial motor vehicles while they are driving. According to research directed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the odds of being involved in a safety-related accident increases just over 23 times for commercial motor vehicle drivers who text while driving when compared to those that do not text while driving.

The risks of texting while driving are clear. Texting while driving removes the driver’s eyes from the roadway for an average of 4.6 seconds which is enough time at 55 miles per hour to travel the length of a football field without looking at the roadway. Texting while driving is considered particularly dangerous in the world of distracted driving because it removes the driver’s hands from the steering wheel, eyes from the roadway and focus and attention from the roadway.

When truck accident victims have suffered injuries and harm in a truck accident caused by truck driver or trucking company negligence, which can include texting while driving and other forms of distracted driving behaviors, personal injury legal remedies can help them recover compensation for their damages. Victims injured in truck accidents may be able to recover compensation for their physical, financial and emotional damages and help hold a distracted driver accountable through a claim for damages.