FMCSA Mandates Truck Passenger Seat-Belt Use

Truck passengers are going to have to buckle up. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Tuesday publishes a final rule to amend the truck driver seat-belt mandate (Part 392.16), adding a provision to hold motor carriers and drivers responsible for ensuring that occupants are using the seat belts required by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

Seat belts save lives—period,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Whether you’re a driver or passenger, in a personal vehicle or large truck, the simple act of wearing a safety belt significantly reduces the risk of fatality in a crash.

•  According to the pre-publication copy of the final rule, the change is based on a 2013 petition submitted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA).  The petition referred to data available from the agency’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) that indicated 34% of truck occupants killed in fatal crashes were not wearing seat belts.
• In responding to the Dec. 15 notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the American Trucking Assns. generally supported the passenger seat-belt requirement, but objected to FMCSA’s plan to hold carriers responsible “as they have no practicable way to monitor it.”

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