There are an overwhelming amount of distractions while availing truck driving opportunities. From texting to eating and drinking…it’s easy to lose focus quickly. It’s important to identify what a distraction truly is. You may not think that looking at a map or a GPS is a distraction – but it is. Below are other common distractions that, as a professional driver in an owner-operator truck driving job and also if you are working with a reputed nationwide trucking company such as transportation logistics provider and freight dispatching company Landstar, you should be fully aware of:

• Texting
• Using a cell phone or smartphone
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a navigation system
• Watching a video
• Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

Statistics reveal an alarming number of frightening results of distracted driving. According to distraction.gov, an estimated 421,000 people were involved in or injured in a motor vehicle crash involving a distracted driver (2011).

• As of December 2012, 171.3 billion text messages were sent in the US (including PR, the Territories, and Guam) every month. (CTIA)
• 11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted.
• For drivers 15-19 years old involved in fatal crashes, 21 percent of the distracted drivers were distracted by the use of cell phones (NHTSA)
• At any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010. (NOPUS)
• Engaging in visual-manual subtasks (such as reaching for a phone, dialing, and texting) associated with using hand-held phones and other portable devices increased the risk of getting into a crash by three times. (VTTI)
• Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, the equivalent at 55 mph of driving the length of an entire football field, blind. (VTTI)
• Headset cell phone use is not substantially safer than hand-held use. (VTTI)
• A quarter of teens respond to a text message once or more every time they drive. Twenty percent of teens and 10 percent of parents admit that they have extended, multi-message text conversations while driving. (UMTRI)

Drivers rely on the professionals to help keep our roads safe. Start by setting a good example of non-distracted driving and be a role model for other drivers.

We wish you the best in having smooth, focused driving!