Nationwide Insurance/NoCell Partner to Reduce Distracted Driving in Commercial Trucking

Nationwide Insurance/NoCell Partner to Reduce Distracted Driving in Commercial Trucking

Jan 3, 2023

Distracted driving is a major issue we’ve covered frequently on the DLG Blog. In 2019, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed that 3,142 deaths occurred as a result of distracted driving. Given the prevalence of distracted driving leading to motor vehicle accidents, many organizations are taking steps to help educate and inform drivers in an effort to improve public safety.

How Common is Distracted Driving Among Commercial Truck Drivers?

• What is Distracted Driving?
• How Common is Distracted Driving in Commercial Trucking?
• Nationwide/NoCell Partnership to Curb Distracted Driving Among Truck Drivers
• How Can I File a California Truck Accident Injury Lawsuit?
• Contact a Los Angeles, California, Trucking Accident Injury Lawyer

For example, the NHTSA has enacted to the “Take the Pledge” program aimed at deterring distracted driving. As the program indicates:

• U Drive.
• U Text.
• U Pay.

“People who drive while distracted give themselves a personal pass to risk the safety of others on the road,” according to the NHTSA.

In addition to the NHTSA, which is primarily focused on reducing distracted driving among motorists, companies and organizations are working to improve roadway safety in the commercial trucking industry.

Below we will look at the issue of distracted driving among commercial truck drivers, review the new partnership between Nationwide Insurance and NoCell, and discuss how to file a civil claim in the event of a truck accident injury.

What is Distracted Driving?

The NHTSA defines distracted driving as:

“Any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system – anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.”

Moreover, the NHTSA refers to texting while driving as the “most alarming distraction.” Other forms of distracted driving include:

• Drowsy driving
• Drunk driving
• Daydreaming and driving
• Road rage

As we’ve noted in past blogs, sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five whole seconds. When traveling at 55 miles per hour, sending a text effectively removes your eyes from the road for so long that it’s the equivalent of driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.

As the NHTSA notes, you cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Furthermore, any non-driving activity you engage in behind the wheel is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing.

How Common is Distracted Driving in Commercial Trucking?

When compared to personal motorists, commercial truck drivers are much more likely to cause an accident while texting and driving (or engaging in another type of distracted driving behavior). In fact, the NHTSA confirms the following distracted driving statistics among commercial truck drivers:

• Commercial truckers are 23 times more likely to cause an accident when texting behind the wheel.
• Commercial truckers are seven times more likely to cause an accident when reaching for their electronic devices.
• Commercial truckers are six times more likely to cause an accident when dialing a phone.

The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has imposed strict mobile phone restrictions for commercial truck and motor vehicle drivers. Some of those restrictions include:

• Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers are prohibited from texting while driving.
• CMV drivers are prohibited from manually entering alphanumeric text into, or reading text from, an electronic device.

Furthermore, CMV driver restrictions include (but are not limited to):

• Short message service
• E-mailing
• Instant messaging
• A command or request to access a web page
• Pressing more than a single button to initiate or terminate a voice communication using a mobile phone
• Engaging in any other form of electronic text retrieval or entry (for either present or future communication)

But while federal restrictions are imposed on commercial truck and motor vehicle drivers in relation to distracted driving behaviors, “cell phone use continues to be a common risky behavior in the industry,” according to Nationwide Insurance. As a result of the continued prevalence of distracted driving among truck drivers, Nationwide recently announced a partnership with NoCell Technologies.

According to its website, NoCell is a company comprised of a group of technology experts to make a difference in driver safety.

“We united with a burning desire to do something about the deadly and costly distracted driving epidemic,” the company website reads.

“We believe smartphone app prevalence and addictiveness, combined with human behavior, has drastically intensified the distracted driving problem. There are millions of commercial vehicles on U.S. roads every day-thus, a commercial-grade technology solution is necessary to overcome the problem of distracted driving. Our spirited desire and belief propel us-and enlivens our purpose and values.”

Nationwide/NoCell Partnership to Curb Distracted Driving Among Truck Drivers

The Nationwide Insurance partnership with NoCell allows commercial fleet customers access to the company’s “cutting-edge distracted driving management platform.”

“The technology helps remove distraction risks by disabling disruptive apps and cell phone capabilities while drivers are rolling, enabling employers to more effectively carry out their custom mobile device policies with their fleets,” according to Nationwide.

“NoCell’s user data shows a more than 70% reduction in phone handling events after 10 days of use with customers.”

“Trucking businesses have more advanced technology and safety cultures than ever before to reduce risks for drivers and the motorists around them, but it continues to be a challenge for risk managers to enforce mobile phone policies,” Gary Flaherty, senior vice president of E&S commercial auto at Nationwide, said following the announcement of the partner program.

“We’re thrilled about this new partnership with NoCell to help hone in on those dangerous distraction risks as we deliver extraordinary risk mitigation for our customers complemented by deep industry expertise to protect them mile after mile.”

According to Nationwide, the NoCell program offers a number of potential roadway safety benefits:

• Fleet managers will have the ability to choose which apps their drivers have access to while the vehicle is in motion.
• The NOCELL solution – compatible with both Android and IOS – uses an app on the driver’s device, a non-intrusive “NOCELL tag” connected to the vehicle, and a back-end system to detect when vehicles are in motion, disable unauthorized mobile phone capabilities, and alert fleet managers when phone handling events take place.

“The commercial driver has never been more important to our economy and country than they are today,” said Sam Inman, CEO at NoCell Technologies. “We are excited for this partnership with Nationwide and the opportunity to extend the reach and deliver our best-in-class distracted driving mitigation platform to their customers.”

How Can I File a California Truck Accident Injury Lawsuit?

If you suffered a truck accident injury that was a result of negligence, you may be eligible to recover significant financial compensation for various losses. When negligence or carelessness leads to a truck accident injury, it’s important that the at-fault party be held responsible for covering the ensuing expenses, such as medical care costs, lost wages, and more.

Examples of common damages that may be recovered through a truck accident injury civil claim include:

• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Emotional trauma
• Medical care expenses
• Hospital bills
• Physical therapy or rehabilitation expenses
• Diminished quality of life
• Pain and suffering
• Punitive damages

Contact a Los Angeles, California, Trucking Accident Injury Lawyer

Hiring a Dordulian Law Group (DLG) truck accident lawyer to handle your injury claim can be a wise decision for a number of reasons. In fact, data indicates that injured truck accident victims who hire private attorneys often secure greater financial compensation for their claims.

For example, the Insurance Research Council (IRC) recently conducted a study which confirmed the following:

• Settlements for injured claimants were 40% higher when they had secured private legal representation.
• The average insurance payout was 3.5 times higher for injured victims who hired private attorneys (when compared to those representing themselves).
• 85% of all money paid by insurance companies for bodily injuries is received by victims who have secured representation from a private personal injury attorney.

Injured California truck accident victims are encouraged to always consult with an experienced, trusted, and proven personal injury attorney before:

• Speaking to the trucking company or the trucking company’s insurance carrier
• Making any official statement regarding your truck accident
• Signing any official or legal documents
• Accepting any type of settlement offer from an at-fault party or representative

With DLG, your truck accident injury consultation is always free, confidential, and without any obligation. We’ll review the facts of your case and provide you with all available legal options to ensure your rights are protected and the maximum financial damages award you deserve is pursued. We serve truck accident clients throughout California as well as the United States.

Some of the local areas we serve include:

• Los Angeles
• Glendale
• Torrance
• North Hollywood
• Burbank
• Pasadena
• San Diego
• Long Beach
• Bakersfield
• Sacramento
• Fresno
• Riverside
• San Francisco
• Granada Hills
• Simi Valley
• San Fernando Valley
• Antelope Valley

Ready to file a claim and pursue justice through a financial damages award? Our expert attorneys are available online or by phone now.

Contact DLG today at 818-322-4056 for a free consultation. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by ensuring that the insurance company or at-fault party does not take advantage of your rights after a commercial truck accident injury – whether due to distracted driving or another type of negligence.

DLG’s truck accident injury lawyers have helped victims like you recover more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts while maintaining a 98% success record. Led by former Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, Sam Dordulian, DLG offers injured victims peace of mind through our unparalleled experience and proven results.

You owe it to yourself to take every step towards avoiding financial loss after an unfortunate truck accident injury that occurred through no fault of your own. With DLG’s experienced truck accident lawyers, there is never any obligation or upfront fee, and we are here to answer any questions you may have 24/7.