The following is a guest post by Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC:
Unsafe driving, oversized loads, long hours, and other dangerous practices adopted by semi-truck drivers have long put the general public, as well as the semi-truck drivers themselves, in harm’s way. The advent of cell phones, as well as in-vehicle video-viewing devices and such, have only increased the possibility of distractions for drivers.
In early 2010 the U.S. Department of Transportation, in an attempt to make the roads safer for drivers, banned drivers of commercial vehicles, such as semi-trucks and buses, from texting while driving. Drivers caught texting while driving are now subject to civil or criminal penalties, including a fine of up to $2,750. A number of states and companies had already implemented texting bans on drivers.
A study conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that texting truckers were 23 times more likely to cause an accident or near-accident than an undistracted driver, a much higher percentage than their car-driving counterparts. The data used was from 2004 to 2007.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is considering further restrictions on truckers in order to ensure public safety. The agency may ban other possible distractions, including communication devices such as CB radios.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a trucking accident, it is advisable to consult a knowledgeable personal injury law firm as quickly as possible. Physical evidence can be lost, and witness memories may fade, so time is of the essence.
Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC is a Portland, Oregon-based firm representing individuals and families in Oregon and Washington. Besides Oregon trucking accidents and automobile accidents, the firm specializes in personal injury, birth injury, traumatic brain injury, wrongful death, maritime injury, and other serious or catastrophic injuries.
