Photo by Nik on Unsplash
A recent story from Arizona recently caught our eye at Class A Drivers. According to Arizona police, a truck driver was speeding because he was more concentrated on watching a YouTube video on his phone than driving safely. The driver was immediately put out of service.
Truck drivers can lose more than their livelihoods though. They can lose their lives. Additionally, they can endanger the lives of the drivers around them.
We talk with a lot of working truck drivers, and road safety is an issue that is very important to Class A Drivers. The most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that 3,275 persons lost their life to distracted driving on American roadways in 2023. The increasing number of these deaths presents an increasing risk to truck drivers, who drive some of the biggest and riskiest vehicles on the road.
The widespread use of cellphones has radically altered the way our brains work. Dopamine reactions brought on by notifications train us to check our phones automatically, even when operating a motor vehicle. This creates an addictive feedback loop for checking our phones. Our need for connection impairs our concentration, slows down our reactions, and makes fatal errors more likely. According to research, even a little distraction from the road can be just as harmful as driving while intoxicated.
Due to their lengthy workdays and heavy workloads, truck drivers are already susceptible to weariness and diminished attentiveness. Like many jobs, driving long-haul on straight highways can be boring. The urge to just check your phone or to even watch a video is high. But the urge can prove to be deadly.
Truckers also face greater risks because of the size and weight of their rigs, which can make a single collision disastrous. Distracted driving does not even mean that the truck driver initiated the accident. A distracted truck driver could be too slow to react to another dangerous driver, which could cause a chain reaction of accidents.
It’s important for truck drivers to always keep their situational awareness high. If you really want to check your phone, wait to the next truck stop. If you really suffer from boredom while driving, listen to an audiobook or podcast that can engage your brain while your eyes stay on the road.
Keep in mind that you are a professional who must navigate a hazardous environment with erratic drivers. You are not just a driver. Remain alert. Please be careful.