A Safety Q&A ForTruck Drivers (NAPSA)—To make truck drivers more aware of the effect that not wearing a safety belt has on them and their families, the U.S. Department of Transportation has published these frequently asked questions about safety belt use. Q. What percentage of truck drivers wear safety belts? A. A recent Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration study showsthat fewer than half of all truck drivers wear safety belts (48 percent). The study dispels the conventional belief that professional truck drivers are more likely to wear safety belts than are drivers of passenger vehicles (80 percent). Q. Whatarethelatest statistics on truck driver deaths in truck crashes? A. In 2003, 620 truck drivers died in truck crashes; 309 truck drivers that died in truck crashes were not wearing safety belts; and 171 truck drivers that died in truck crashes were ejected. Q.What do you say to truckers who think wearing a safety belt is a personal decision and doesn’t affect anyone else? A. Wearing a safety belt is the law for truckers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require truckers to buckle up. Many people are affected by a person’s decision to wear or not wear a safety belt. The conse- ee: eae Buckling up not only protects drivers, it protects their families, too. quences of not wearing a safety belt can greatly affect your family and loved ones. What would be the effect on your loved ones if you were killed or seriously injured in a crash as the result of not buckling up? It is your responsibility to maintain control of your vehicle. Safety belts are your best chance of remaining in control of your truck in a crash or emergency situation. A driver’s best chance of survival is remaining conscious and in place behind the wheel of his/her truck. Wearing a safety belt greatly reduces your chance of sustaining injuries, and increases your chanceof survival. To learn more, visit the Department of Transportation Web site at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safetybelt.
