Truck accidents can lead to severe injuries for vehicle occupants struck by an 80,000-pound truck and trailer. Unfortunately, truck driver distracted driving cases are common, particularly cases involving mobiles phone or other electronic devices. A 2021 study by Omnitracs demonstrates drivers who are in a collision are often more distracted than drivers who are not in a collision.

Distracted Driving Statistics

In-cab video data of over 29 billion driving miles have shown that driver distraction leads to riskier behaviors that negatively impact truck drivers’ ability to operate their vehicles safely. The following are some of the more alarming statistics:

• Distracted truck drivers are 72% more likely to be in a near-collision than any other drivers.
• Distracted truck drivers using mobile phones are twice as likely to be in a collision.
• The most distracted truck drivers make incomplete stops at intersections 2.7 times more often than the least distracted drivers.
• Mobile phone-distracted drivers exceed the speed limit by 10+ mph approximately three times more often than the least distracted drivers.
• The most distracted drivers are over three times more likely not to wear a seatbelt than the least distracted truck drivers.
• The most distracted truck drivers drift out of their lanes 2.3 times more often than the least distracted drivers.

FMCSA’s Texting and Driving Ban

Commercial drivers have a toxic relationship with mobile phones and electronic devices in their cabs. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) cites statistics that drivers who text while driving are in a collision at a rate 23 times higher than other drivers. The FMCSA banned texting while driving for all truckers, including:

• Sending or reading a text while driving
• Dialing a phone number or using more than one button in a sequence
• Holding a phone during a call
• Using the phone’s internet browser or an app
• Using any messaging service, including texting, Facebook Messenger, email, etc.

Violations can lead to fines for the driver and their employer, as well as the driver losing their commercial truck driving license. It can also lead to truck accidents, leaving victims with serious injuries and permanent disabilities.

Other Distracted Driving Habits Among Truckers

Cell phones and mobile devices aren’t the only sources of distraction for truck drivers. Other distractions may include:

• Eating, drinking, or smoking
• Using a GPS or mobile navigation service
• Looking at a map
• Reaching for something in another part of the cab
• Reading job paperwork
• Looking at the surroundings instead of the road ahead
• Adjusting equipment and instruments such as the radio

Other sources of distraction can be just as dangerous as mobile devices, especially with outside factors like trucker fatigue, poor weather conditions, or roadside construction.

Proving Distracted Driving in Your Truck Accident Case

How do you prove truck driver distracted driving contributed to your accident? In any injury case, you need to prove negligence by the liable party. How can you prove negligence in your case? Your first step should be to contact an experienced truck accident attorney as soon as possible after your Connecticut truck accident.

Your attorney can send a spoliation letter to the trucking company to preserve evidence from the cab camera in the truck’s black box. If your accident happened in a town, your lawyer may also look for other evidence in your case, such as dash cam footage from other witnesses or security camera footage from nearby businesses.

Contact a Truck Accident Attorney in Connecticut

Truck driver distracted driving cases are complex for injured victims seeking compensation for their injuries. Call the Law Offices of James A. Welcome at 203-753-7300 or contact us online to schedule a consultation with a personal injury attorney in Connecticut.