By Megan Wolfarth, Training and Safety Director
We all know that texting while driving is a dangerous habit, but here are some sobering numbers for you. When people text while driving, the likelihood of an accident is 23 times greater than that for people who are not texting. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute conducted research with long haul trucks by putting video cameras into their cabs for 18 months.
It was shown that each time people text while driving, they are looking away from the road for about five seconds. That may not seem like a lot of time, but a vehicle traveling at average highway speeds (50 mph or greater) can travel more than 100 yards in those short five seconds. That’s like driving the length of a football field without looking where you are going.
Currently, only 14 states have laws banning texting while driving, and because no “long term” studies have been done, it may be a while before we see a ban in our area. On the other hand, it is against company policy to talk or text on your phone while driving.
Be safe out there!
