If your a truck driver and you’ve felt the urge to send out a quick text message while you were driving down the road, this report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will probably make you think twice about it.
The FMCSA partly funded a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, which compiled the research and measured the time drivers took their eyes from the road to send or receive texts.
One of the first issues the article discusses from the report is the sharp increase over previous estimates. The study showed that text messaging is far more dangerous than many other driving distractions. Matt Richetel of the New York Times says that the report from the FMCSA is going to show that truck drivers are 23 times more likely to get into an accident if they are text messaging behind the wheel.
For the study video cameras were installed in the cabs of trucks for 18 months and the actions of drivers were monitored. The results were alarming. Tom Dingus, a director for the Virginia Tech institute said the study’s message was clear. “You should never do this,” he said of texting while driving. “It should be illegal.”
Another study was also conducted by the University of Utah . The University of Utah used simulation equipment rather that equiping live tractor trailers and used passenger vehicles in their study. Even when using a simulator, the results come back at 8 times more likely. The lower simulator results according to David Strayer, a professor who worked on the University of Utah report, may be related to the fact that trucks are tougher to maneuver and stop, and that college students might be somewhat better at multitasking.
The complete NYTIMES article can be found by clicking here.
The bottom line, Don’t Text Message While You Drive!