Tower Group Companies offers a broad range of specialized property and casualty insurance products and services to small to mid-sized businesses and to individuals. By targeting select market segments and expeditiously delivering needed products and services, Tower is able to offer favorable policy terms, conditions and pricing, creating opportunities for agents and protection for policyholders.

Dangerous Driving Distractions: Safety Tips for Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers

Numerous activities can divert a driver’s attention away from the road, but all have one thing in common: they endanger driver, passenger and bystander safety. In fact, each day more than 15 people are killed and more than 1,200 people are injured in crashes that were reported to involve a distracted driver.

Dangerous Distractions• Texting• Using a cell phone or smartphone• Eating and drinking• Talking to passengers• Grooming• Reading, including maps• Using a navigation system• Watching a video• Adjusting a radio, CD player or MP3 player

Hand-Held Restrictions for Commercial DriversIn an attempt to cut down on these dangerous distractions, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administra-tion (FMCSA) and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a joint rule banning the use of hand-held phones by drivers of buses and large trucks.

The FMCSA outlines the new rule with five simple restrictions:1. No reaching2. No holding3. No dialing4. No texting5. No reading

Hands-Free Solutions for Commercial Drivers• Locate the mobile phone so it is operable by the driver while restrained by properly adjusted safety belts. • Utilize an earpiece or the speaker phone function. • Use voice-activated or one-button touch features to initiate, answer or terminate a call.

For more information on the FMCSA’s rules on cell phones for commercial motor vehicle drivers, visit www.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Sources:

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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Did you know?

Sending or receiving a text takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 sec-onds, the equivalent – at 55 mph – of driving the length of an entire football field, blind.

- Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

The information provided in this document is for information purposes only to aid the reader in better understanding the topic. Tower Group Companies and its affiliates do not guarantee the information contained herein and assume no liability in connection with the information provided in this document.