Operating semi-trucks on any street in the United States is more difficult than driving a smaller sedan or coupe. Driving a truck presents challenges the typical driver does not have to experience. Whether maneuvering through tight parking lots, more significant blind spots, wide turns, or many other challenges, truck drivers have a more demanding job on the road than most other drivers. This is especially true in a city like Washington, D.C. A truck has to fit into tighter spaces than in suburban environments or even on the highway. Moreover, the consequences of a truck accident are more severe than an accident between two cars. Trucks are far bigger and weigh far more than cars. Thus, the results can be catastrophic when a truck collides with a smaller vehicle like a car. A disastrous result is far more likely when it is a distracted driving truck accident in DC.
Distracted driving stands out as a precarious problem for residents of Washington, D.C. Some forms of distracted driving are more frowned upon than others. For example, if a driver not from Washington, D.C., gets distracted by the spectacular views of the monuments while still negligent, he is less likely to be found morally reprehensible. Meanwhile, some distracted driving truck accidents in DC, like texting and driving, are more of a conscious decision that drivers know not to make whenever they get into their trucks.
Just two years ago, 3,308 people were killed in distracted driving accidents. Any number of distractions can cause a distracted driving truck accident in DC. However, in our 70 years of practice handling truck accidents in the District, particularly with our knowledge of the trucking industry, we understand there to be four most common causes of distracted driving accidents.
The most common cause of distracted driving accidents in DC trucking accidents is texting and driving. Texting and driving has infiltrated our driving culture and are some of the most dangerous things you can do while driving. Anything that takes a trucker’s attention off the road takes time away from their ability to react. And, as any trucker knows, it takes longer for a semi-truck to stop than it does for the typical car. That, coupled with the higher likelihood of serious injury when involved in an accident with a truck, spells serious injury for anyone around a driver who is texting and driving.
It is estimated that sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds. While it may not seem that bad while reading a text that seems so important, imagine if you were not texting and driving but instead just closing your eyes for five seconds on the highway. How scared would you be? A prudent driver would be terrified. If you are driving 55 miles per hour on the highway, that is the length of a football field you have traveled with your eyes off the road. In that time, you may have missed that a car suddenly came to a stop, a deer was crossing, or there was debris in your lane. Staying attentive while driving does not guarantee your safety, but it is a necessary first step towards driving as safely as possible and protecting other drivers on the road, too.
While texting and driving is recognized throughout DC and the country as dangerous, there is far less infamy around eating while driving. However, if texting and driving takes your eyes off the road for five seconds on average, eating while driving can, too. Moreover, eating while driving significantly reduces your ability to control a truck. If you have a cheeseburger in one hand, you only have one hand to steer. That reduces your ability to use your blinker and merge or perform other safety maneuvers to protect you and others around you. Thus, eating while driving’s most significant danger is not your ability to keep your eyes on the road but your restricted use of hands if you have food or even a drink.
It is easy to fall into the trap of working on your navigation while driving. You may wish to add a stop for gas, to use the restroom, or to grab a coffee. However, changing your navigation to get into a distracted driving truck accident in DC. Like eating or texting while driving, using your navigation takes your eyes off the road. As truck accident lawyers in DC, we recommend audio narration from your navigation app. This allows you to keep your eyes on the road. While we know texting and driving to be wrong, and eating while driving, while it may seem necessary to make up time on your route is still incorrect, using your navigation truly is nonnegotiable for many truck drivers. However, it is essential to understand the risk associated with anything that takes your eyes off the road, even for a few seconds.
However, navigation is not the only in-cabin technology that can cause distractions. Anything on your media screen can distract you from the road. Whether it is changing the music, playing a podcast, or changing the air temperature, you are driving distracted any time your eyes are not on the road.
This is challenging for truck drivers. Any driver who has to be on the road for hours is in a precarious position. Of course, there has to be a time to change the music or the radio on a trip that long. However, safety needs to come first. So, if your truck takes voice commands, use that. Or, if you have to stop at a red light or the next trucker rest stop, that is a safer alternative than using the in-cabin technology while operating your truck on a fast road or highway.
As referenced above, Washington, D.C., has some of the most beautiful views from the roads in the country. Whether it is the National Mall, Washington Monument, or any scenic memorials, much can distract a truck driver. However, like any of the abovementioned distractions, external distractions can also lead to distracted driving truck accidents in DC.
The most devastating impact of distracted driving accidents is the human cost. When you are in a distracted driving truck accident in DC, it is not just you who you must consider. The minivan also involved in the accident may contain a family or a newly licensed driver. The emotional toll on the victims and their families is immeasurable when dealing with the aftermath of accidents, which can include long-term disability and the loss of loved ones. As truck accident attorneys in DC, we see the effects of these devastating accidents every day. When it is a distracted driving accident, it is more of a deliberate act of negligence than a typical truck accident.
If you are in a distracted driving truck accident in DC, we implore you to contact an experienced attorney immediately. Founded in 1954, Gelb & Gelb, P.C. has been serving victims of trucking accidents for 70 years. We have handled thousands of accident cases.
Call today for a free consultation at (202) 331-7227.