Feds Will Target Other Truck Driver Distractions Too
After a ban on texting while driving for truck drivers, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is likely to turn its attention next to the other distractions that plague truckers while driving. According to sources within the agency, the agency will look into the use of dispatch systems and CB radios by truck drivers and how much these distract truck drivers. These distractions will also go the way of texting, if the feds have their way.
Of course, any ban on the use of these systems will have to depend on how such a ban would affect trucking processes. The FMCSA does not want to hinder communication between truck drivers and the company, but it wants to minimize the kind of distractions that truck drivers are exposed to while driving.
An Indiana truck accident lawyers, we would also call for restrictions on the increasing use of computers by truck drivers these days. These computers are mounted on the dashboard of the trucks, and are used by truck drivers for a number of purposes. They help truckers stay in contact with the office, receive new dispatches and orders, and route directions. Truckers can log on to check e-mail, or to surf the Internet.
The trucking industry says that these computers have made trucking processes a lot easier, simpler and more efficient. While that may be true, these also increase the risk of truck accidents. Trucking companies recommend that their drivers never use computers while they are driving. If a truck driver needs to use a computer, he must pull over before he logs on.
However, just about any Indiana truck accident attorney will tell you that that is not always possible. Truckers are very often guilty of using these computers while driving, and this poses a serious risk to other motorists around.
