Distracted Driving Awareness
Post Date - Apr 19, 2023
What CDL-A drivers need to know about distracted driving
As CDL-A drivers, you have a lot going on. Sometimes it can become all too easy to get distracted when you’re behind the wheel. April is National Distracted Driving Awareness month and is a great time to reset our focus in the driver’s seat. We’ve collected the top tips for staying concentrated as well as some need-to-know info on distracted driving!
The risks
Let’s be up front and open about the dangers behind distracted driving. In 2021, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 3,522 people were killed because of distracted driving. Additionally, recent studies have shown that texting and driving increases your chance of being involved in a collision five to six times more in comparison to drunk driving. With stats like those, it seems obvious that distracted driving should be something we all avoid. Distracted driving can mean more than just sending a text message; here are some of the other ways drivers can dangerously split their focus away from driving.
What being distracted means
We all know that texting while driving falls under the distracted driving category, but what other actions fall into this category?
- Adjusting the radio
- Rerouting your GPS
- Checking phone/GPS notifications
- Scrolling on apps
- Eating full meals
As professional drivers responsible for controlling an 18-wheeler, which takes a certain amount of skill, it’s even more important that we’re committed to avoiding anything that could be defined as distracted driving. Nothing is worth putting your own life or the lives of others at risk!
Tips to stay focused
There are some advances in current driving technology that reduce instances of distracted driving. Some technologies alert a driver when their attention is drawn away from the windshield for extended periods of time and there are also technologies that provide lane-departure warnings and lane-keeping assistance. If you want to take things into your own hands, you can turn your phone on a certain mode that will silence notifications while you’re driving.
The top tip for staying focused while driving is to pull over whenever you need to reply to a text, check a notification, eat a meal, or anything else that would cause you to shift your full focus away from the road. If you find that you’re really struggling to resist the urge to text or scroll while driving, you can try putting your phone somewhere out of your direct eyesight or even somewhere that you can’t reach without pulling over!
NTB is committed to giving our drivers all the resources they need to succeed, from helpful blogs to comprehensive benefits and top pay – we see that your skills as a CDL-A driver are priceless. Want to learn more? Connect with our recruiters today.