Commercial drivers of tractor-trailers became subject to a ban on handheld mobile phone use in January of 2012. However, many drivers of tractor-trailers are grumbling that if restricting their use of mobile phones while driving is a sound public safety precaution, then a ban that applies to all drivers of motor vehicles would be even better. This is not a completely unrealistic position because the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) proposed just such a global ban on all mobile phone use by all motorists just last year. In fact, the NTSB went even further proposing not only a universal ban on all mobile phone use but also a ban on other portable electronic devices that do not support the task of driving, such as GPS devices.
Because the danger posed by mobile phone use while driving increases the risk of motor vehicle collisions for all drivers, truck drivers and commercial carriers argue that the trucking industry has been unfairly singled out. It is worth noting that all drivers in California are required to adhere to a ban on handheld mobile phone use, but this is not the policy in many states.
The debate about the appropriateness of exclusively restricting drivers of tractor-trailers to hands free use is compounded by the fact that there is a fair amount of data suggesting that hands free cell phone use may not be any safer than handheld use of mobile phones while driving. The Governors Highway Safety Association analyzed hundreds of distracted driving studies over a ten-year period and concluded there was no evidence that hands free use of a mobile phone offered any safety benefits over handheld mobile phones.
While putting aside the effectiveness of hand free laws limiting mobile phone use while driving, there are differences that may justify focusing on the trucking industry when enacting restrictions on the use of electronic devices when driving. The massive weight of a tractor-trailer means that when a tractor-trailer driver makes a mistake when driving a big-rig the consequences typically are far more severe with one in eight traffic fatalities resulting from a trucking accident. Further, it is the occupants of the other vehicle who suffer major injuries 98 percent of the time. Given the high stakes when a tractor-trailer is involved in a motor vehicle collision, the disparate treatment of drivers of tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles may be appropriate.
Trucking companies may counter that drivers in the other vehicle rather than the truck driver cause the majority of trucking accidents. However, the bottom line is that when barreling down the freeway at fifty mph commercial drivers need all of their attention focused on their driving.
Contact Us For Your Free San Francisco Truck Accident Consultation
If you are injured or lose a loved one in a San Francisco tractor-trailer collision involving a distracted truck driver, you should contact us as soon as possible because critical deadlines apply. Our San Francisco truck accident attorneys invite you to contact The Law Office of Ian Zimmerman for your free initial consultation. We are open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., speak Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, and are available for weekend, evening, home and hospital meetings and visits. We also offer free initial consultations and work exclusively on a contingency fee basis so that you pay nothing if we don’t win your case.