At Ashby Thelen Lowry, our Atlanta personal injury attorneys know commercial vehicles can be found anywhere on our Georgia highways, city streets, residential neighborhoods, and rural areas.
Unfortunately, like other drivers, they can be easily distracted from driving.
Distracted driving among commercial vehicle operators poses a significant danger, significantly increasing the likelihood of collisions due to these vehicles’ sheer size and weight. When commercial drivers engage in distractions such as texting, using navigation systems, eating, or interacting with in-cab devices, their ability to react promptly to traffic conditions diminishes, leading to delayed responses and impaired judgment. The consequences are often severe, involving substantial physical, financial, and legal repercussions.
Here, we discuss the impact of commercial vehicle crashes, focusing on the dangers of distracted commercial vehicle operators.
What are the Most Common Commercial Driver Distractions that Lead to Crashes, Injuries, and Fatalities in Georgia?
When most people think of distracted driving in Georgia, they think of cellphone use, and they are not wrong. Research commissioned by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shows that the odds of being involved in a safety—critical event-crash, near-crash, unintentional lane deviation—are six times greater for commercial vehicle drivers who engage in dialing a mobile phone while driving than for those who do not.
The FMCSA regulations state no driver may use a hand-held mobile telephone or engage in texting while driving a CMV, according to 49 CFR 392, Subpart H. The only occasion where either is permissible is when drivers are communicating with law enforcement officials or other emergency services.
Unfortunately, cellphones are not the only distractions commercial vehicle drivers contend with.
Other distractions, including in-cab technology, such as dispatch systems, GPS, and entertainment systems, can lead to crashes caused by:
Increased Risk of Rear-End Collisions
- Delayed Reaction Times: Distractions slow the driver’s ability to react to sudden stops or slow-moving traffic, leading to rear-end collisions.
- Higher Impact Forces: Commercial vehicles’ significant weight results in more severe impacts and greater damage in rear-end crashes.
Lane Departures
- Loss of Control: Distractions can cause drivers to drift out of their lanes, leading to side-swipe collisions or driving off the road.
- Head-On Collisions: Crossing into oncoming traffic due to distractions can result in devastating head-on crashes.
- Overcorrection: Sudden, distracted corrections to the steering wheel can cause the vehicle to overturn, especially with high center-of-gravity loads.
- Unstable Loads: Distracted driving can lead to improper handling of loads, increasing the risk of rollovers.
Increased Stopping Distances
- Delayed Braking: Distractions can delay the driver’s response time to brake, resulting in insufficient stopping distances.
- Brake Misapplication: Distracted drivers may misapply brakes, causing uneven or insufficient braking force.
Pedestrian and Cyclist Collisions
- Failure to Yield: Distractions can cause drivers to miss pedestrians and cyclists crossing or sharing the roadway.
- Reduced Awareness: Drivers may not notice pedestrians or cyclists entering their blind spots or crossing at intersections.
Highway Off-Ramps and On-Ramps
- Missed Exits: Distracted drivers may miss their exits, leading to sudden, dangerous maneuvers to correct their path.
- Improper Merging: Distractions can lead to unsafe merging onto highways, causing collisions with other vehicles.
Construction Zone Collisions
- Missed Signage: Distractions cause drivers to miss road signs indicating construction zones, leading to crashes with construction equipment or workers.
- Reduced Speed Awareness: Distracted drivers may not reduce speed appropriately in construction zones.
Impaired Decision Making
- Cognitive Load: Distractions increase drivers’ cognitive load, impairing their ability to make safe driving decisions.
- Multitasking Failures: Attempting to multitask while driving a commercial vehicle leads to increased errors and unsafe driving behaviors.
Cargo Spills and Hazardous Material Crashes
- Load Shifting: Distracted driving can lead to improper handling, causing cargo to shift and increasing the risk of spills or hazardous material releases.
- Environmental Hazards: Crashes involving hazardous materials can lead to environmental contamination and require costly cleanup efforts.
If you or someone you love has been injured or lost their life in a commercial vehicle collision caused by negligence in Georgia, contact our skilled Atlanta personal injury lawyers and support team at Ashby Thelen Lowry at (404) 777-7771 to schedule a free consultation. This initial step will ensure your rights are protected and enable you to make informed decisions about the direction of your claim.