Millions of accidents occur annually due to distracted driving. Nowadays, fiddling with our cell phones is one of the most common examples of distracted driving.
One upstate New York beverage distributer, DeCrescente Distributing Co., uses Cellcontrol, a call-blocking technology, to prevent this common problem from happening. Cell phones or tablets are disabled for use by employees when driving trucks for the company.
The technology blocks calls, texts and Internet use, promoting road and driver safety. DeCrescente drivers cover over a 7,500-square-mile territory in 11 counties. The implementation of the technology has been in effect for over a year. It initially took some adjusting to by the employees.
Tom Turcotte, the company’s vice president of operations told the Times Union: “When a call or text comes in, the natural, human nature is to grab it and see who it is. The bottom line is we want to get everybody home safe and to keep everyone on the road safe.”
Turcotte, too, had to adjust. He said he had to be mindful of the fact he cannot reach a driver right away. With drivers averaging 18 to 20 stops a day, this time is used to return phone calls and texts without being distracted while driving.
Cost and Value of Technology
There is a $70 charge per vehicle for the technology hardware to be installed and a $65 annual fee for each truck. The Cellcontrol device requires a driver to download an app to their cell phone or tablet. After doing so, an attachment placed inside the truck blocks the driver from using a mobile device if the vehicle is in motion.
The app has been installed in the cell phones of all the company’s drivers, including the phones of the mechanics who test drive vehicles being repaired.
Car Accident Lawyer in Connecticut
This safety assurance is the second step that DeCrescente has taken for its company. The first was the installation of vehicle cameras in the trucks that responded when vehicles swerved or braked suddenly. Many of those incidents were caused by cell phones.
Protecting Victims of Truck Accidents
Safety precautions help prevent trucking accidents, but it cannot prevent all of them. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident, contact one of our trucking accident attorneys. You may be eligible for compensation.
The Atlanta Truck Accident Attorneys at Fried Goldberg has dedicated its practice to truck accident cases for decades. A case evaluation is free and without obligation.