Truck Drivers Given The Safety Belt Challenge (NAPSA)—The odds are getting better that the next truck driver you see on the highway will be wearing a safety belt. The reason? The U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Minetahascreated a national public-private partnership—the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership—to combat low safety belt use among the nation’s commercial motor vehicle drivers. This is in response to a national study released by the Secretary that found only 48 percent of all truck drivers wear safety belts. Nationally, 80 percent of passenger vehicle drivers wear safety belts. In comparison, the low numberof truck drivers buckling up has taken a severe toll. In 2008, of the 620 commercial drivers killed in crashes, about half were not wearing safety belts. Of the drivers who died, 185 were ejected not wearing safety belts. It Doesn’t Just Affect Truckers Not wearing a safety belt doesn’t just affect truck drivers. It can also greatly affect their family and loved ones. The CMV Safety Belt Partnership is asking truckers to think about the effect on their IT’S A SNAP—The Commercial MotorVehicle Safety Belt Partner- ship wants to combat low safety belt use among the nation’s commercial motor vehicle drivers. spouse or children if they were killed or seriously injured in a crash as a result of not buckling up. It is this fact and a gentle reminder from the spouses of drivers that should make the use of safety belts among drivers increase. To learn more, visit the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership Web site at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safetybelt.
