Study: Distracted Truckers Are Causing More Accidents

The Prevalence of Distracted Driving Among Truckers

Omnitracs, a global fleet tracking and telecommunications company, has conducted a study on the impact of distracted driving and trucking safety. The study analyzed over 330 million driving events collected from their database from 2019 to 2020.

In summary, the analysis showed that distracted truck drivers pose overall safety risks and increase the likelihood of making driving errors. Specifically, mobile device distractions increase the risk of being involved in a truck crash exponentially. For example, the study states that drivers using a mobile device are 3.5x more likely to run a red light, resulting in a severe collision. Here are the concerning truck crash statistics you need to know.

Truckers and Distracted Driving By the Numbers

The Omnitracs report found those truck drivers involved in collisions had higher distraction rates than noncollision drivers in all categories of distractions. The following are the collision rates for each distraction type:

• Talking on a handheld mobile phone – 90.3%
• Texting or dialing on a mobile phone – 60.7%
• Grooming/personal hygiene – 42.8%
• Other tasks – 38.8 %
• Operating other mobile devices – 33.4%
• Using earphones/headphones (wired or wireless) – 31.8%
• Eating food – 27.2%
• Paperwork – 26.2%
• Having possession of a mobile phone – 26.1%
• Drinking a beverage – 25.3%
• Using mobile phone hands-free – 17.6%
• Smoking – 14.8%

The Dangers of Distracted Driving Combined With Speeding

The report also showed that distracted truckers can be aggressive speeders. Here are the rates at which distracted driving truck accidents combined with speeding increased the occurrence of crashes exponentially:

• All distractions: 142.2%
• Mobile-only distraction: 224.4%
• Non-mobile distraction: 141.7%

How to Get Help After Being Involved in a Truck Accident

Serious injuries need strong attorneys. Rollover accidents are one of the most severe types of crashes. Not only can a rollover crash cause someone to sustain catastrophic injuries, but the physical, emotional, and financial hardships can be challenging for victims and their families. If you were involved in a rollover accident, we can help. Our attorneys are ready to help you seek justice and hold negligent parties accountable.

Contact Strong Law, P.C. today at (417) 887-4300 for a free consultation.