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Take Action on Distraction

It's a concept so undeniable that the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (who normally have a hard time agreeing on the price of a free cup of coffee) both came out on the same side of the issue: Texting while driving is a bad idea.

After the national summit on distracted driving in early October (which Washington Editor Oliver Patton reports on in this month's "Washington Report"), within days of each other, ATA and OOIDA each issued a release supporting a texting while driving ban for both truckers and automobile drivers.

When you look at research numbers presented at the summit, it's pretty much a no-brainer. A Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study on truck drivers and distraction found that texting while driving increases the risk of a "critical safety event" by more than 23 times.

There's already legislation in Congress that would essentially force states to enact texting-while-driving bans. And the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it will work on rules to ban text messaging and restrict cell phone use in moving commercial vehicles.

While banning texting while driving is an obvious move, what's not so obvious is, where do we go from there? Texting is hardly the only distraction inside a car or truck cab.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made it clear that he's not content with a simple texting ban. He wants to reduce driver distractions as much as possible, including onboard computers and hands-free cell phones.

That's where things aren't quite so clear. Research has shown that the very act of talking on a cell phone can be a mental distraction to drivers, even if it's hands-free. Yet research among truckers has shown that talking on cell phones can actually improve safety. Think about it: For truck drivers, sometimes a little "distraction" can actually be a good thing on those long, monotonous stretches of Interstate highway.

What about other devices in the cab? As we reported in our April issue, research is being done on the effect of various safety warning devices in the cab, from forward collision warning to blind-spot devices to tire pressure monitoring systems. GPS navigation devices are becoming increasingly popular, with a number of trucker-specific models introduced in the past year.

It's conceivable that some well-meaning legislator or regulator could target the in-cab computer and communication devices that have become ubiquitous since the early days of Qualcomm's pioneering satellite system.

A story in the New York Times shortly before the distracted driving summit trumpeted, "Truckers Insist on Keeping Computers in the Cab," conjuring up images of laptops balanced on steering wheels. In reality, today's in-cab computers often feature text-to-voice messaging and safety features that prevent drivers from typing while the truck is moving.

Many fleets already use training, technology and policies to make the use of cell phones and other electronic devices as safe as possible. If you don't, it's time to work on it. After all this media coverage about the dangers of texting while driving, imagine what a plaintiff's attorney could do to you if one of your drivers has a crash with a cell phone in his hand.

If you have a successful system, be prepared to demonstrate to lawmakers and regulators about how, used properly, some of these potential distractions actually can add up to safer, more productive highways.

From the November 2009 issue of Heavy Duty Trucking .

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