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What is considered distracted driving for truck drivers?

On Behalf of | Apr 27, 2017 | truck accidents

 

Distracted driving has gained a lot of publicity recently as a major cause in accidents involving passenger vehicles in Illinois, but authorities are also cracking down on drivers of commercial vehicles and working to prevent truck accidents due to cell phones. Here is what the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has to say about what you should consider distracted driving for truck drivers.

 

First is texting. This includes more than just typing a text message, but also typing emails, instant messages and other types of communication. You must also avoid any phone calls or any other type of voice communication that requires you to push more than one button. Accessing web pages while driving is also strictly forbidden.

 

Next is reading. In addition to typing while driving, reading anything is also dangerous because it takes your eyes off the road and averts them from possible danger. To avoid tickets and accidents, you should not read or send any messages.

 

While there is much you cannot do on a cell phone while driving, there are ways that truck drivers can use their phones when they are behind the wheel. It is illegal to reach for the phone, so you must keep it in a stand. While there, you can use any functions that are activated purely by your voice or by only touching one button. This means you can answer or hang up a voice call as long as you do not have to punch multiple buttons. This information is meant to educate and should not be taken as legal advice.

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