Report shows more truck drivers buckling up on the road

Trucking safety just got a little better.

A new report surveying truckers in 2010 from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shows that 78 percent of commercial truck drivers and bus operators buckled up while behind the while in 2010. The data was announced by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today in Washington, D.C.

"Safety is our number one priority," said LaHood. "The rise in seat belt use by commercial drivers is good news, but we will not rest until all drivers are buckling up when they drive."

The survey involved a total of 26,830 commercial truckers and revealed that seat belt use was highest in the West with 82 percent. The report also found that the rate was higher in states with laws that allowed local police to pull over drivers for not wearing a seat belt.

The American Trucking Association reportedly praised the report and said it was "yet another reflection of the trucking industry's commitment to safety.

ATA Chairwoman Barbara Windsor added that the country's larger trucking companies have been calling for states to pass laws requiring drivers to wear seat belts for the past two years.

Report shows more truck drivers buckling up on the road

Monday, May 2nd, 2011