Survey shows seat belt usage at all-time high for truck and bus drivers
Posted November 15, 2017
More commercial truck and bus drivers are using their safety belts, according to a recent national survey by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
FMCSA reports 86 percent safety belt usage in 2016 for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers. This is a new record level since tracking began in 2007. In 2007, usage was reported to be just 65 percent, but has steadily increased each year. FMCSA, in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, has conducted the “Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Survey” six times during this nine-year period.
The 2016 survey:
- Observed nearly 40,000 CMV drivers operating medium- to heavy-duty trucks and buses; and
- Took place at more than 1,000 roadside sites nationwide.
Seat belt usage for CMV drivers and their occupants was:
- 89 percent on expressways, and
- 83 percent on surface streets.
Male CMV drivers were found to buckle up slightly more often than their female counterparts. Rates were 86 percent and 84 percent, respectively.
The survey also examined whether regions of the United States differed in usage rates. Commercial drivers and their occupants wore seat belts at a rate of 87 percent in all but one region. Only the Northeast differed, with a significantly lower rate of 71 percent.
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