Safety belt use up among truck, bus drivers: report

Washington – Safety belt use among commercial truck and bus drivers increased in 2010, according to a report released May 2 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

FMCSA’s Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Survey found that safety belt use increased to 78 percent in 2010 from 74 percent in 2009. Researchers observed 26,830 CMV drivers operating medium- to heavy-duty trucks and buses and 1,929 occupants at 998 roadside sites nationwide. Additional findings showed:

• Safety belt use was higher among drivers and other occupants in units identified as part of a fleet (80 percent), compared with 71 percent use by independent owner-operators.
• Safety belt use was 80 percent for CMV drivers and vehicle occupants in states where the safety belt law is primarily enforced, versus 72 percent in states with secondary enforcement safety belt laws.
• Safety belt use rates for CMV drivers and occupants were highest in the West at 82 percent, compared with 79 percent in the South, 73 percent in the Midwest and 69 percent in the Northeast.