Columbus Ohio Truck Accidents
Texting truck drivers may be more common than revealed by news statistics, especially as a fatal Columbus truck accident may have been caused by texting. We all know teens are texting and causing accidents as well as adults. But are professional truck drivers texting while they drive.
Semi tractor trailers have all sorts of electronics guiding and reporting on the operation of trucks. But make no mistake, texting has been banned by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety rule. (1) These drivers are professionals. They have to take a special test to get their CDL license. That’s why its so upsetting when the suspicion is raised that texting , or any kind of cell phone use distracted a truck driver and caused an accident.
But in a recent double fatality where a truck driver on I-70 did not slow for traffic the allegation was made. In a comment to a media article on the truck crash it was suggested that just before the crash the truck driver was seen on the cell phone.
Police reported traffic was backed up because of an motor vehicle crash and the trucker did not slow down in time to avoid the slowing vehicles causing a crash and the death of two women. Although the media article did not say why the driver did not slow down, a later comment to the article suggests that the trucker was seen using a cell phone moments prior to the crash that ended up killing two ladies. You can find more information and read the text of the comment here
Distracted driving in my mind, when caused by cell phone use is as bad as drinking and driving. Maybe worse. The statistics are sobering. But what is shocking and not really known, is the number of professionals using cell phones.
(1)
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/topics/distracted-driving/texting-factsheet.aspx