Fort Walton Beach Personal Injury Law Blog

Distracted drivers cause some of the most serious accidents because they often neglect to slow down or take action to mitigate impact. This is why trucking companies, which often manage fleets of large vehicles that can cause a lot of damage, must take extra steps to prevent driver distractions. Technology provides the most distractions, but ironically, technology may also provide the solution.

For years, fleets have been using vehicle data measuring hard braking and acceleration to determine when drivers are putting themselves in risky situations. New fleet management systems from companies like PeopleNet and SmartDrive offer in-cab video monitoring, which can turn on when adverse events occur, and driver-coaching tools. Netradyne will even have a system that gives audible warnings and notifications to drivers.

Truck drivers in Florida who are farther from weigh stations, rest areas and truck stops may be more likely to crash. This was among the results of a study done by the University of Kentucky that examined accident data in that state between 2005 and 2014. The study appeared online in November.

In the analysis, researchers identified 7,538 accidents that were the fault of the commercial truck driver and further identified 284 that had fatigue as a factor. Researchers found that more than 40 miles from a rest option, crashes in which the driver was at fault and fatigue was a factor were seven times more likely to happen. At 20 to 40 miles away, there was more than double the likelihood. Researchers also identified nighttime driving as a factor in fatigue-related crashes. Parkways tended to have both fewer rest options and a higher rate of accidents for commercial truck drivers suffering from fatigue.

Florida readers are aware of the great dangers associated with drinking and driving. Alcohol can diminish a person's mental cognition, vision and reactions, leading to an increased chance of a car accident. Florida authorities continue to combat drunk driving, but some believe that drugged driving could eventually become a more prevalent issue. 

Many types of drugs can impact a person's ability to drive safely. You understand illicit drugs are dangerous, especially when consumed by a person who decides to operate a motor vehicle, but certain prescription drugs can also affect a driver's abilities. Marijuana, even when used for medical purposes, is dangerous to consume before driving.

The recent surge in distracted driving accidents in Florida and around the country is often blamed on cellphone use, but research from the American Automobile Association reveals that using the sophisticated navigation and entertainment technology found in most new vehicles can be just as distracting for drivers. The organization's Foundation for Traffic Safety arrived at this conclusion after evaluating the electronics systems in vehicles manufactured by Ford, Chrysler, General Motors, Honda and Kia.

The study was conducted at the University of Utah, and it involved 64 participants sending text messages, making phone calls, adjusting audio settings and programming navigation systems while behind the wheel. The participants were then asked to complete the same series of tasks after the electronic systems in the cars had been paired with smartphones using applications from Apple and Android. The researchers noticed that all of the systems studied made high or very high demands on drivers. The CarPlay and Auto apps did save some time, but the researchers noticed several situations where the participants were still dangerously distracted.