COMMERCIAL TRUCK PASSENGERS REQUIRED TO WEAR SEAT BELTS

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has published a final rule requiring passengers riding in large commercial trucks to use seat belts whenever the vehicles are operated on public roads in interstate commerce.

Effective August 8, 2016, the final rule revises existing regulations and holds motor carriers and drivers responsible for ensuring that passengers riding in large commercial trucks are using seat belts.

In 2014, 37 passengers traveling unrestrained in the cabs of large trucks were killed in roadway crashes, with one-third of those passengers ejected from the vehicle. FMCSA’s 2013 Seat Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Survey, published in 2014, found that 73% of commercial motor vehicle passengers use seat belts, while 84% of CMV drivers buckle up.

Federal rules have required all commercial drivers to use seat belts since 1970. “Using a seat belt is one of the safest, easiest and smartest choices drivers and passengers can make before starting out on a road trip,” said FMCSA Acting Administrator Scott Darling. “This rule further protects large truck occupants and will undoubtedly save more lives.”

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