Study: Few drivers are operating with distractions

Most companies are diligent concerning trucking safety. Many require their operators to take online truck driver safety training in order to stay up-to-date with the trends that impact the industry.

A new study from SmartDrive Systems, a fleet management service delivery platform, found that a small population is the most distracted behind the wheel and are most likely to engage in risky driving behavior, Fleet Owner reports.

Officials told the news source that more than 13.8 million video events were recorded in 2010, which involved 34,466 commercial drivers. Distractions included cell phone usage, test messaging, use of maps or navigation, and paperwork, among others.

"Typically, we are finding 5 to 10 percent of the commercial driver pool represents the bulk of the ‘distracted driving’ risk," Jason Palmer, president of SmartDrive, told the news source. "They are the ones whose distracted behavior behind the wheel leads to the greatest amount of risky driving maneuvers and, eventually, to vehicle crashes."

According to the Federal Motor Commercial Safety Administration, officials engaged in more than 9,000 compliance reviews in 2010. Moreover, state authorities conducted nearly 6,100 during the same time period.

By Andie Martin

Study: Few drivers are operating with distractions

Thursday, April 21st, 2011