Truck Safety
The 2010 CMV Driver Safety Belt Usage Study released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that 78% of commercial motor vehicle drivers are wearing their safety belts. Statistics show that safety belt use cuts the risk of death by 60% for people riding in trucks (from NHTSA). FMCSA data shows that 51% of truck-occupant fatalities in large trucks involve rollovers. In a rollover, a truck driver is 80% less likely to die when wearing a safety belt.
DRIVE SMART Virginia (DSV) has completed five Commercial Motor Vehicle safety belt campaigns and has seen increases in seatbelt usage as high as 20%. The 2011 Be Ready Be Buckled program entitled "The I-81 Project" was held on Interstate 81 in two separate project areas. The Northern project area was from Harrisonburg to Steven City, VA. The Southern project area was from Troutville to Raphine, VA. The goal of this project was to see an increase in seatbelt usage among truck drivers in the project areas. Mobile billboards, CB radio messaging and outreach tables at truck stops were utilized in the project areas to remind commercial vehicle drivers to buckle up. In order to determine the success of the campaign, DSV surveyed truck drivers' seatbelt usage in the project area. Surveys were taken before, during, immediately following the mobilization and one month post-mobilization. Preliminary data analysis showed slight increases in seatbelt usage during the project's mobilization.
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Trucking Statistics
Convincing Seatbelt Stats:
In 2009, 12,713 lives were saved by seatbelts nationwide. An additional 3,688 lives would have been saved if there was 100% seatbelt use by our nation's drivers. – NHTSA
2010 safety belt use was observed to be higher in states governed by primary belt use laws (80%) than secondary belt use laws (72%). 2010 safety belt usage among drivers and other occupants in units identified as part of a fleet (80%) was also observed to be higher than independent owner-operators (71%). – FMCSA
In a crash at 30 mph, an unbelted person will hit the windshield with the same force as a person falling from the top of a three story building. – US DOT
In accordance with Section 392.16 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR), "...a CMV which has a seat belt assembly installed at the driver's seat shall not be driven unless the driver has properly restrained himself/herself with the seat belt assembly." – FMCSA
Large Commercial Vehicle Crash Statistics
In 2009, 3,215 large trucks were involved in fatal crashes, a 21-percent decrease from 2008 and the largest annual decline since records. – FMCSA
221 buses were involved in fatal crashes nationally in 2009 – FMCSA
77 Fatalities in Crashes Involving Large Trucks and 8 Fatalities in Crashes Involving Buses occurred in Virginia in 2009 – FMCSA
Total Fatalities Involving Large Trucks and Buses: 2007: 5,116 2009: 3,619 – FMCSA
A 2006 Virginia Tech Transportation Research Institute analysis of two studies conducted for the Department of Transportation found that 78 percent of crashes involving commercial motor vehicles were caused by the passenger vehicle drivers.
According to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), roughly one third of fatal crashes involving a car and a large truck occurred in one of the blind spots surrounding the truck.
In 2009 the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) completed a distracted driving study specifically focused on commercial motor vehicles. A key finding was that drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a crash when texting while driving.
In fact, the VTTI further reported that driver distraction due to a non-driving related task was a contributing factor in 71% of all crashes and 46% of near crashes studied.