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Distracted Driving Eastern Kentucky University Tanner Basham Research Paper November 17, 2023

Distracted Driving Revving up the curiosity, hit the road, navigating through the twists and turns of the commercial driving world. They uncover the hidden gears that keep the economy in motion and explore the fascinating challenges faced by those who command the highways. Buckling up, they are about to embark on a journey into the fast lane of commercial drivers' tales and triumphs! The topic today is distracted driving, a concern those believe is a significant hazard among the field of commercial drivers. They feel that commercial drivers face a growing threat from distracted driving, primarily driven by the increased use of mobile devices and in-cab technologies. This not only endangers their own safety but poses significant risks to other road users due to the size and weight of commercial vehicles. The industry is responding by implementing measures such as improved training, awareness campaigns, and advanced safety technologies to foster a culture of attentiveness and responsibility among commercial drivers, ultimately enhancing road safety. As they navigate the labyrinth of highways and byways, their attention becomes a precious currency, and any diversion from the road poses not only a risk to their own well-being but also to the safety of fellow travelers. In this high-stakes arena, where split-second decisions can have far-reaching consequences, the battle against distractions is waged daily by those entrusted with the responsibility of transporting goods. The gravity of this challenge underscores the urgent need for a collective commitment to prioritize focus, concentration, and vigilance among commercial drivers, ensuring that the arteries of commerce remain untainted by the dangers of diverted attention. When compared to personal motorist, commercial truck drivers are much more likely to cause an accident while

Distracted Driving texting and driving or engaging in another type of distracted driving behavior in fact the NHTSA did a research study confirming the distracted driving statistics among commercial drivers, according to NHTSA commercial truckers are 23 more likely to cause an accident when texting behind the wheel, seven times more likely to cause and accident when reaching for an electronic device and six times more likely to cause an accident when dialing a phone. The biggest culprit of distracted driving stems from cell phone use, The Department of transportation proposed a rule in 2010 to ban hand-held cell phone use for commercial truck and bus drivers. As part of a campaign to put an end to distracted driving the safety regulation prohibits interstate commercial truck and bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones while operating commercial motor vehicles. Commercial drivers who reach for a cell phone or are holding one while operating a CMV. Would face federal civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense and disqualification of their commercial driver’s license (CDL) for multiple offenses. Additionally, states would suspend a drivers CDL’s after two or more violations of any state law on hand-held cell phone use. FMCSA research shows that using hand-held cell phone while driving requires a commercial driver to take several risky steps. Commercial drivers reaching for an object, such as a cell phone, drivers dialing a hand-held cell phone while driving increase their risk by six times. Nearly 5,500 people and a half a million were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2009. Distraction-related fatalities represent 16 percent of overall traffic fatalities in 2009, according to national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) research.

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Distracted Driving Many companies have already implemented their own cell phone polices, some of the largest carriers such as Walmart, UPS, and Covenant transport banning their drivers from using hand- held phones. Being able to address this aspect and problem in the world of distracted driving requires multi-faceted approach to implement polices and training programs that help minimize these behaviors and reduce the number of accidents that occur on the roadways in the field of commercial driving. Districted Driving also has many other impacts rather than loss of life according to (Rogue Risk) Crashes involving distracted driving cost employers more than $72,000 per non- fatal accident and as much as 4.3 billion per year. Distracted driving can have a huge impact on operational efficiency and how companies get their products from Point A to Point B for example Distracted driving can result in delivery delays accidents or traffic violations resulting from distraction can disrupt the timely transportation of goods and have effects on the supply chain efficiency. These distractions can be not only phone related they can be factors like the driver spilling coffee, reaching for something behind the wheel or even eating while driving. Some of the distractions listed are worse than others but all can result in some sort of consequence in the worst-case scenario a loss of life. No matter how you break down distracted driving, it creates problems for the transportation industry. Not only is the supply chain interrupted by causing delays in goods being picked up and delivered. But the distractions can cause other issues to for example according to (Freighwaves) those who drive distracted are 36% more likely to cause an accident. Also Distracted drivers get up to 6.1% less fuel efficient than those who are without distractions. With distracted driving it can contribute to accidents and less fuel efficiency, it can not only disrupt the supply chain, but it can also cost companies thousands of dollars in gas

Distracted Driving money basically eating away at their pockets the reason being it most companies have gas fleet cards that go to the drivers, each card is able to be used for gas at certain fuel stations usually the companies have a budget for the gas card expenses. Between the cost of accident payouts and shipping delays distracted driving leads to massive profit losses in almost every situation according to (atechlogistics) the average settlement was over 617,000 as of 2016 resulting from accidents and deaths that companies have had to compensate for. Companies that must pay out travels fast, costing the company loss in profit. The past several years have seen some of the sharpest increases in traffic crashes and motor vehicle crashes. Of the nearly 5.4 million commercial motor vehicle crashes that happen annually on the roads, nearly 40% are caused by commercial distracted driving. According to a recent study by Great American insurance, motor vehicle crash rates are at the highest levels in decades: 19% in rural areas and 25% in urban areas, and 41% for high exposure cities. According to a 2015 report from the network of employers for traffic safety (NETS), the cost of commercial distracted driving crashes and distracted driving accidents had an $8.4 billion direct impact on employers, Now breaking down the financial hits the company will take first will be the businesses damaged motor vehicle which will likely be the smallest hit to the company balance sheet. According to NETS, the average damage cost for property damage only (POD) crash accounts for 5,890. But when larger or more complex vehicles (motor carrier, large truck) are involved, the property and vehicle damage can increase dramatically. Imagine the cost to repair a heavy-duty truck or specialty vehicle the price tag could be $250,000 plus

Distracted Driving In conclusion the issue of distracted driving among commercial drivers requires critical attention to reach the end goal of ensuring road safety, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. The various hazards that are associated with distracted driving, such as mobile phone use and in-cab technologies necessitate a concentrated effort from drivers in this industry and companies. Some key takeaways and implementations that should be considered are the need for comprehensive training programs, providing the proper education over road safety and distracted driving could be the key to fostering awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and help to build a safety culture among the commercial driving sectors Additionally being compliant with federal regulations, and adding in the consistent enforcement and accountability of these regulations helps build the frame work to discourage drivers from distracted driving. Additionally, the economic and logistical repercussions of distracted driving cannot be understated. Delays in deliveries, increased operational costs, and legal consequences all underline the urgency of addressing the issue. By taking time to provide the correct training and investing in correct technologies that minimize distractions and encouraging responsible use and practices, the industry of commercial driving can both enhance safety and efficiency. In conclusion Being able to migate distracted driving among commercial drivers requires a creative and compliant approach the combination of education, regulations and training employers and DOT can strive to create a safer and more efficient environment for commercial driving that not only benefits the industry but the communities, cities, towns, and people who also travel on the same roadways as commercial drivers References

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Distracted Driving Cellular phone use while driving: Risks and benefits - transportation. (n.d.-a). https://www- nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/Human%20Factors/driver-distraction/PDF/Harvard.PDF How distracted driving impacts the supply chain . Atech Logistics & Distribution. (2022, March 31). https://www.atechlogistics.com/how-distracted-driving-impacts-the-supply- chain/ D, D. (2023, January 3). How common is distracted driving among commercial truck drivers? . Dordulian Law Group. https://www.dlawgroup.com/nationwide-insurance-nocell-partner- to-reduce-distracted-driving-in-commercial-trucking/ U.S. Dot proposes rule to ban hand-held cell phone use for commercial truck and bus drivers . FMCSA. (n.d.). https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/us-dot-proposes-rule-ban-hand-held- cell-phone-use-commercial-truck-and-bus-drivers https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/DriverDistractionStudy.pdf Trucesoftware. (2021, September 23). How much could commercial distracted driving be costing your company? TRUCE Software. https://trucesoftware.com/blog/how-much-could- distracted-driving-be-costing-your-company/#:~:text=Based%20on%20a %202015%20report,direct%20financial%20impact%20on%20employers .

Distracted Driving

TRS 225 paper

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