September 25, 2009 – A trucker is far more likely to have a crash due to cell phone use than car drivers. Truckers who text while driving are 23 times more likely to be involved in an accident or near-accident than an undistracted driver. A recent study showed that even when dialing a phone while driving, a truck driver is almost 6 times more likely to have an accident versus 2.8 times more likely for a car driver. Just reaching for an electronic device, a trucker is 6.7 times more likely to have an accident compared to a car driver who is only 1.4 times more likely.
Think of it this way, if a highway driver takes his eyes off the road for even 4.6 seconds it is like traveling the length of a football field going 55 m.p.h. with your eyes closed. The greatest risk of text messaging for truckers and drivers is they are looking at their cell phones and NOT at the road.