Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute conducted a study to test the effect of personal technology when it comes to safety on the road.  The study was funded with $300,000 from the FMCSA,  lasted from 2004 to 2007, and involved 203 truck drivers who drove a collective 3,000 miles.   Video cameras were installed in commercial trucks that could record truck drivers just seconds before and during an accident or near miss.

The results of the study confirm what many have been saying for a long time: that texting is an extremely high-risk behavior while driving.  In fact, the study showed that texting increased a trucker’s’ probability of being in a crash or a near miss by nearly 23 times, compared to motorists who were not texting.  Researchers say texting is considered more dangerous than other activities while driving because it requires the driver to take their eyes off the road repeatedly.

Just a reminder to always make safety a top priority!