Although it happened far from Florida, the truck accident that took place in Lockport, New York this past week should serve as a reminder to truck drivers across the country. Nicholas Sparks crashed his flatbed truck into a car and a swimming pool. According to authorities, Sparks was speaking on one cell phone and texting on another at the time of the accident.
Niagara County sheriff’s deputies note that Sparks may have been distracted by talking and texting when he hit a car, then smashed through a fence, brushed by a home and rolled into a pool. The passengers of the car Sparks hit included an 8-year old girl and an elderly woman. The child suffered minor injuries while the woman sustained head injuries as a result of the crash.
Sparks has been charged with talking on a cell phone while driving, following too closely, and reckless driving. It is unknown how he will plead at this time. However, the case does point to larger problems that need to be addresses to prevent other such truck accidents.
The role of cell phones in car accidents has been widely reported in the media. Some states are banning cell phone use on the roads. Many authorities and studies have proven a link between cell phone and mobile device use and car accidents. Experts claim that mobile devices such as cell phones distract drivers from the road and can lead to accidents. Cell phone use encourages drivers to focus less on the road and texting encourages drivers to take their eyes off the road entirely.
Less has been written about truck accidents and cell phone use, but common sense would suggest that mobile device use while driving a truck is just as dangerous – and possibly more so – than talking and texting while driving a car. Fully loaded trucks can weigh tens of thousands of pounds. On inclines, especially, braking and swerving can be more challenging, making it even more important for truck drivers to anticipate and keep their eyes on the road.
Texting or talking while driving a truck can also be far more deadly than texting and talking while driving a car. Because of their sheer size and weight, trucks can cause far more damage than cars in a collision. Trucking accidents frequently cause fatalities and serious, permanent injuries. This is an excellent reason to ask truck drivers to pull over before placing a call or sending a text.