Partnership Aims at Increasing Seat-Belt Use Among Drivers
ollowing the release of a Department of Transportation study showing that only 48% commercial vehicle drivers wear seat belts, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced the launch of the "broadest effort this country has ever seen to get truckers to wear their safety belts" on Tuesday.
The new partnership, which includes DOT, American Trucking Associations, drivers, trucking companies, law enforcement and others, will focus on educating truck drivers about the importance of wearing a safety belt, the release said.
According to DOT's release, more than half of the 588 commercial drivers killed in crashes last year were not wearing safety belts.
"If you are one of the more than five-and-a-half million truck drivers who choose not to wear your safety belt, I have a message for you. Uncle Sam wants you, no, needs you to buckle up," Mineta said at an event in Atlanta kicking off the new campaign.
The study examined 3,909 truck drivers in 12 states during 2002 and has an error rate of 1.4 percentage points, AP said. The study did not break down the rates by state.
Mineta signed an agreement making the new partnership official, along with Annette Sandberg, administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, ATA President Bill Graves and other trucking and safety officials.
