ARLINGTON, Va. -- More truck drivers than ever before are buckling up, according to the latest data from the US Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
The latest figures show 74% of commercial truck and bus drivers now wear their seatbelts, up from 65% in 2007.
"The increasing trend in safety belt usage among commercial drivers is encouraging," said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. "However, our advocacy won't rest until every driver is buckling up."
The data is based on surveys of 20,818 commercial drivers operating medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses at 827 roadside inspections.
Seat belt use was as high as 78% in states that require them by law and dropped to 67% in states where there's no law requiring wearing a seatbelt.
Owner/operators only buckled up 64% of the time whereas company drivers tended to use seatbelts 78% of the time, according to the data.