In the aftermath of the railroad accident involving a Metrolink railroad worker was texting at the time the accident occurred, there has been a push for cell phone use, especially texting, to be restricted or even banned all together while operating a train. This push isn’t new. Many states have passed laws imposing fines for car drivers caught texting.
Given the damage a major train crash can inflict upon the passengers in the train and the unfortunate car or truck that winds up getting hit by the train, it makes sense to restrict texting while rail operators are on the job.
Many studies indicate texting while operating a vehicle is 23 times more dangerous than not texting. It’s even been compared to drunk driving. We wouldn’t allow a rail engineer to operate a train drunk, so why should they be able allowed to text while on the job?
We all need to understand just how distracting cell phones and texting can be. It requires looking down and focusing on typing the text as opposed to operating your vehicle. In that split second, you may wind up getting into an accident and suffering a serious injury like a broken neck, severed limb, or traumatic brain injury.
I’m glad to hear this serious safety issue is being brought up. Our firm wrote a free consumer guide about the risks associated with distracted driving. Check it out here.