Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic that has claimed the lives of thousands of
people over the years.
Many 18-wheeler drivers operate their dangerous vehicles while being
distracted. They may be talking, eating, looking at a GPS, or even reading while their eyes
are on the road ahead. Distracted driving can lead to an accident and they will be
responsible for what happens as a result of their actions.
Distracted driving is a serious, and dangerous, issue on the road. According to the CDC, more than 1 in 4 car crashes involve distracted driving, and research has shown that cell phone use
while driving increases the risk of crashing by 4 times.
18-wheeler drivers need to do better — not just for ourselves and our passengers, but
also for other drivers in the area and their passengers as well. Distracted driving is
dangerous because it takes your attention away from a world that is moving faster than ever before: cars are bigger and faster, highways are busier, pedestrians cross streets at crosswalks or intersections where they are not supposed to cross (and sometimes doing so while looking down at their phones). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that distractions cause at least 1,000 deaths per year.
Distracted driving is when a person is driving but not fully attentive on the road ahead of
them. The driver’s attention is divided between the road and their distraction, which
prevents them from being able to react quickly enough to avoid an accident. This can be anything from chatting with passengers in the car to eating or drinking while
driving. Distraction also includes talking on your cell phone while you drive, texting
friends or family members, looking at something else other than the road like scenery or billboards, playing music through headphones instead of speakers, and using an app that has GPS services activated... the list goes on!
Many drivers are not aware of the dangers of distracted driving, especially when they are
behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler. Even though you might think you're being safe
because there's no one else around, it is still possible for someone to get hurt or killed.
Always be ready to react to the road ahead of you at all times and make sure that nothing distracts your mind away from paying attention to the task at hand—driving safely. Your life depends on it!
