Texting and driving is a dangerous practice because it takes a person’s attention off of the road and places it on a small screen. In the time it takes a driver to pick up their smartphone and open a text, they may have run a red light, collided with another vehicle and caused themselves and others serious bodily injury.
Drivers of personal vehicles may wonder if North Carolina’s texting and driving ban applies to all vehicle operators. For example, some drivers hold different classifications of licenses. In order to drive a large truck or bus, a driver may need to possess a commercial driver’s license.
Under the rules of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a commercial driver may not engage in traditional texting and driving. In fact, a commercial driver may not use a cellphone at all if it requires them to press more than a single button.
Commercial drivers may not hold their cellphones in their hands and they may not dial numbers or enter letters with their hands. If a driver needs to reach in order to get to their cellphone, they may not use it; if a driver can easily access their cellphone and can perform an operation by pressing a single button, then their actions may be permissible.
A distracted private driver can cause significant pain and suffering if they create an accident due to texting and driving. Commercial drivers who allow a smartphone to distract them from their driving may cause a fatal accident that could have repercussions for all of those affected by their negligence. Trucking accidents can be evaluated by personal injury attorneys to determine if they may form the grounds for civil actions.
