Report Says Commercial Drivers Have Issues with Distracted Driving
More than 90 percent of all the commercial drivers in the United States strongly believes that reading a text while operating their company vehicles is considered distracted driving, but even then nearly half of those drivers say they have done it more than once and may do it again
At Service King San Pedro in San Antonio, TX we always stress driving safety here in our blog, and distracted driving is a significant problem nationwide, with both regular drivers and commercial drivers as well.
This data about distracted driving comes from UFG Insurance that recently expanded its distracted driving awareness campaign to include content specifically targeted to large and medium-size commercial fleets.
UFG's "Worth It" program, was unveiled to the commercial transportation industry back in 2017, setting a mission to provide trucking companies with resources to get the word out that distracted driving is very dangerous and needs to be stopped right now.
The content and marketing materials that cover commercial fleets, which includes posters and presentations, is drawn from in-depth research that was conducted by UFG and points to some troubling trends among U.S. commercial drivers.
Key among the findings is that 72 percent of all commercial drivers surveyed admitted that their distracted driving could possibly lead to a collision. They know it's highly dangerous and yet they're out there doing it anyway, which is a concern for fleet managers all over the country.
Nearly 4 out of every 10 (39 percent) said that they have sent text messages while operating their trucks, sprinters or vans and 47 percent said they'd read at least one text while driving. Phone calls are also another problem, 60% who have talked on a handheld cell phone while driving.
Moreover, 90 percent of all fleet drivers report that they have engaged in other forms of distracted behaviors while behind the wheel, including talking to one or more passengers, listening to loud music, changing the station on the radio more than a few times, or adjusting their remote controls while operating a large vehicle.
One good thing shown in the UFG survey is that commercial drivers are 4 times more likely than regular drivers to use an app that's designed to prevent distracted driving.
In conclusion, be careful while you're on the highways of our country, because just because a commercial truck driver is a professional does not necessarily mean that they're a safe operator all the time. Distracted driving can affect us all, so be wary and on alert and ABL--always be looking out for the other driver and stay safe, my friends!
Service King San Pedro in San Antonio, TX 78232
Sources: Fleet News and Parts and People
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