Big Rigs Driven by Texting Truckers Are Trouble in Ohio
Truckers and other commercial drivers face many driving distractions on a daily basis. Among the most dangerous is cell phone use, which may include texting.

April 24, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Big Rigs Driven by Texting Truckers Are Trouble in Ohio

Thousands of semi-trailer trucks and other commercial vehicles travel the Ohio roadways every day. Even though it is their job to pay full attention when driving, commercial truck drivers are guilty of texting behind the wheel--which is a terrifying fact.

Texting and driving is dangerous in every instance. In 2008 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 5,870 people died and approximately 515,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.

The current distracted driving epidemic ups the chance of an accident by 4 times over the average attentive driver. But when a driver behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle weighing several tons is the distracted culprit, the risk is even greater. Texting truckers might think they are simply keeping in touch with friends or work dispatchers, but they are actually increasing the chances of a crash by 23 times.

Fortunately, the risks of texting and driving are becoming more widely acknowledged and authorities are actively working to better protect the roads. Earlier this year, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced a federal ban on texting while driving for commercial truck and bus drivers. If caught, drivers may be responsible for civil or criminal penalties, such as fines up to $2,750.

Currently, 20 states have laws that ban texting behind the wheel, with other states likely to follow suit--Ohio being one of them. The Ohio House of Representatives just approved legislation to ban texting while driving and impose a $150 fine on people caught violating this law. They also made the act a primary offense, which means that a driver could be pulled over for texting and driving specifically. An interesting exception to the bill, though, is that commercial truck drivers may still use mobile data terminals to transmit and receive data. This allows drivers of big rigs to continue some activities that cause distraction.

The bill must next be approved by the Ohio Senate before it can be signed into law. At present, the only other Ohio law regulating cell phone use are for drivers under 17 who have restricted licenses and cannot use handheld devices while driving. Cleveland, however, has instituted a city-wide texting ban. If the bill to ban texting in Ohio passes, there will be big changes for drivers, but a six-month grace period in which drivers pulled over for the offense will merely be warned will help motorists adjust to the new law.

Attempts to make U.S. roads safer are in the works, but it also takes behavior changes and strict implementation of the laws for true signs of improvement to emerge. A ban on texting is just a starting point as firmer laws regulating general cell phone use while driving is needed. Such regulation, however, exempts commercial truckers from using some distracting technologies in Ohio, so there is definitely more work to be done.

If you are involved in an accident caused by a distracted trucker or other commercial driver, know your rights and seek help. A local trucking accident attorney can explain your legal options and help you fight for the damages to which you are entitled.

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