Cell phone use as deadly as driving drunk?

A new study released by the University of Utah found that driving while using a cell phone is as dangerous as driving while drunk. The study found that the distractions associated with cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle are as likely to cause an accident as being impaired by alcohol.

Would we allow truck drivers the option of driving while under the influence of alcohol? Would we say that personal privacy concerns trump road safety?

Of course not.

Earlier this year, a truck driver killed 11 people in Kentucky and it appears from the investigation that he was operating a cell phone while operating his tractor-trailer. Published reports show that he was receiving and making cell phone calls in the moments leading up to the accident.

Could this deadly accident have been prevented?

While it appears we will never know the exact cause of this accident, it certainly begs the question about the dangers of cell phone usage while operating an 18-wheeler big rig. Further, we do know that technology exists to prevent calls from being received or sent while a truck is in motion. This technology can be installed on most phones or reception blockers can be installed inside the truck's cab. These technologies exist, they are not expensive and they could save lives. They would not inhibit work-related and important communications as the drivers can send and receive messages during their periodic rest stops.

And what do we hear about this from the large trucking companies? Very little.

In fact, we hear virtually nothing from the nation's giant trucking firms when it comes to cell phone usage and driving. With a newly published report showing just how dangerous cell phone usage is, we should hope there would be, at the very least, a voluntary call to install these life-saving devices in every big rig in America.

Additionally, the National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) should enact rules requiring every tractor-trailer or 18-wheeler to install cell-blocking technology inside of every cab. This move would ensure that drivers are more focused on the road than in sending text messages, chatting on the phone or surfing the Internet while driving.

When it comes to commercial rigs, safety should always come first. Now that we know that cell phone usage is as dangerous as driving drunk, we need to treat driving while texting/talking with equal seriousness.