Texting Truck Drivers Are a Serious Concern for Ohio Motorists

It seems like distracted driving has become an epidemic here in Summit, Ohio, and in the rest of the country as well. Unfortunately, truck drivers seem to have caught the disease. A recent investigative story about texting truck drivers has been making the news as of late, causing fear of truck accidents and advocating tougher penalties for negligent drivers.

In one video, a truck driver is shown texting. The driver’s eyes are focused on this phone and not on the road. Other footage shows a driver dialing a number on his phone as he travels along the highway. Yet the most disturbing video showed a truck driver carrying two phones, both of which he was using at the same time. The footage was taken on the highways of New York, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not happening here in Summit, Ohio.

Unfortunately, in cases like this, a distracted truck driver only gets a slap on the wrist. However, things may be changing after The National Transportation Safety Board’s Robert Sumwalt, an agency board member, viewed the investigation’s video footage. After seeing it, the NTSB board member indicated that enforcement for these infractions lacked bite.

The observation was in line with recent findings of the Department of Transportation that noted that only four truck drivers were fired or suspended after using phones while driving last year. This was from almost 16,000 truck drivers who received citations.

The lack of enforcement can possibly be blunted by filing a legal action. A Summit resident injured by a distracted truck driver can choose to file a personal injury lawsuit in order to hold the driver accountable.

Source: ABC Local, “EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION: Texting truckers on busy NY highways,” Jim Hoffer, April 29, 2014