Tech Bri e f FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

FMCSA Contact: Albert Alvarez, MC-RRR, 202-385-2387 

Programs of the Federal Motor Carrier 

Safety Administration (FMCSA) 

encompass a range of issues and 

disciplines, all related to motor carrier 

and bus safety and security. FMCSA's 

Office of Research and Analysis, which 

includes the Research, Technology, 

and Analysis Divisions, defines a 

"research program" as any systematic 

study directed toward fuller scientific 

discovery, knowledge, or understanding that will improve safety, and reduce 

the number and severity of commercial 

motor vehicle crashes. Similarly, a 

"technology program" is a program that 

adopts, develops, tests, and/or deploys 

innovative driver and/or vehicle best 

safety practices and technologies that 

will improve safety and reduce the 

number and severity of commercial 

motor vehicle crashes. An "analysis 

program" is defined as economic and 

environmental analyses done for the 

agency's rulemakings, as well as 

program effectiveness studies, statereported data quality initiatives, and 

special crash and other motor carrier 

safety performance-related analyses. 

A “large truck” is any truck with a 

Gross Vehicle Weight rating or Gross 

Combination Weight rating of 10,001 

pounds or greater. 

Currently, FMCSAs Analysis, Research 

and Technology Divisions are 

conducting programs in order to 

produce safer drivers, improve safety 

of commercial motor vehicles, produce 

safer carriers, advance safety through 

information-based initiatives, and 

improve security through safety 

initiatives. The study described in this 

Tech Brief was designed and 

developed to support the Research 

and Technology Divisions’ strategic 

objective to produce safer drivers. The 

primary goals of this initiative are to 

ensure that commercial drivers are 

physically qualified, trained to perform 

safely, and mentally alert. 

Office of Research and Analysis 

400 Virginia Ave., SW 

Suite 600 

Washington, DC 20024
 

Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver
 

Safety Belt Usage
 

Background 

Although FMCSA requires the use of safety belts by commercial motor vehicle 

(CMV) drivers, research cited by FMCSA showed that less than half of CMV 

drivers actually used safety belts. In 2003 FMCSA completed a study of CMV 

safety belt usage, conducted by the Center for Applied Research, Inc. (CFAR). 

The study estimated an overall safety belt usage rate of 48%. (Large national 

fleets averaged a usage rate of 54% and the independent and local fleets usage rate 

was estimated to be 44%.) This usage rate compared with a national safety belt 

usage rate of 79% for passenger car drivers. 

FMCSA also reported that in 2002, of the 588 CMV drivers killed in crashes, more 

than half were not wearing safety belts. Of those drivers ejected from their trucks, 

80% were not wearing safety belts. Other countries such as Australia and the 

United Kingdom have experienced similar results and have undertaken programs to 

encourage CMV drivers to wear safety belts as a part of their daily operating 

practices. 

As a part of its goal to reduce fatal truck-involved crashes to 1.65 fatalities per 100 

million truck vehicle miles traveled by 2008, FMCSA is seeking to increase safety 

belt use among CMV drivers. To this end, in December 2003, the U.S. 

Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that it had established the 

Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership (Partnership). The Partnership 

conducted outreach activities promoting safety belt use and implemented safety 

belt-related research. FMCSA initiated this research project so that it could learn 

about motivating factors that influence CMV drivers in deciding whether to wear 

safety belts and about any research and best practices that address the use of safety 

belts. 

Scope 

First, the CFAR research team summarized available information in the safety 

literature and other sources on the factors that influenced CMV drivers to use or 

not to use safety belts in their daily operations. This information included a special 

focus on driver motivational factors. The literature review identified and annotated 

past and current ongoing research on safety belt usage by CMV drivers, not only in 

the United States, but in other countries as well (Australia and the United Kingdom 

were key examples). Second, the research team identified motivational factors 

affecting safety belt usage through surveys of fleet managers and drivers and 

structured interviews conducted through cooperating associations. Third, the 

research team explored documented accounts and other research to examine 

problems and factors that have limited the use of CMV safety belts. This 
exploration included a review of ergonomic and human engineering factors in design and use or non-use of safety belts 

in commercial trucks, as well as approaches to facilitating safety belt use by truck manufacturers. The fourth component 

of the research project was a discussion of techniques used by transportation managers, especially fleet managers, to 

encourage and potentially enforce safety belt use as a part of fleet management safety operations. These practices were 

gathered from the literature review and responses to the fleet manager and driver surveys. This component also included 

a description of the regulatory framework that has influenced the use of safety belts. Finally, the research team 

developed recommendations for additional research to improve knowledge on motivational factors affecting the use of 

safety belts by commercial motor vehicle drivers. 

Throughout this study, the CFAR research team coordinated its efforts with the Partnership to ensure that surveys and 

activities were consistent with the work of the Partnership, especially in the area of surveys and research activities. 

Commercial Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership 

Approach 

Information on factors affecting CMV driver safety belt use was obtained through several approaches. The initial effort 

was a review of the literature that encompassed the following: 

 CMV safety research, both in the United States and in other countries 

 Motivational research in related fields 

 Company practices and approaches to documenting and encouraging safety belt usage 

 Industrial and transportation safety management in modes other than CMV transport, including 

commercial and public bus and transit modes 

The literature review also included a review of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) earlier 

initiative to increase safety belt use by passenger car drivers. Although factors relating to safety belt use by CMV drivers 

and passenger car drivers could be different in some respects, the information in the NHTSA report provided a baseline 

and starting point for this research project. 

The primary means for obtaining information for this research project were surveys. Parallel survey forms were 

employed for CMV fleet managers and drivers. The surveys included both objective and subjective questions. For 

example, there were objective questions asking fleet managers about their particular safety management practices relating 

American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

American Society of Safety Engineers National Private Truck Council 

American Trucking Associations National Safety Council 

Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance National Tank Truck Carriers 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Network of Employers for Traffic Safety 

Great West Casualty Company Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association 

International Association of Chiefs of Police Professional Truck Driver Institute 

Motor Freight Carriers Association Property Casualty Insurers Association of America 

National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools Truckload Carriers Association 

National Association of Truckstop Operators Truck Manufacturers Association 
to safety belts. Subjective questions addressed the reasons some drivers did not wear safety belts and the relationship 

between non-safety belt usage and other risky behaviors. Both objective and subjective questions have value, but the 

distinction between them should be kept in mind. 

The surveys included yes-no, multiple choice, and 5-point scale items. The survey forms also included basic information 

on respondents and their carriers. The fleet manager survey was distributed primarily by U.S. Mail using a Virginia Tech 

Transportation Institute mailing list of fleet managers who had responded to previous surveys. Other fleet manager 

respondents were identified in conjunction with the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI). Survey forms 

were also distributed with the assistance of industry trade associations. 

Surveys of CMV drivers were also conducted. The format and many questions of the survey questionnaire were similar 

to that of the fleet manager form. However, these questions focused on the individual driver’s own attitudes and 

behavior. The distribution of these questionnaires to drivers was primarily through the efforts of ATRI, which conducted 

surveys at truck stops. Additionally, the CFAR research team conducted several interviews at an industry event and at a 

fleet location. To focus on ergonomic and physical issues relating to safety belt use, the research team canvassed truck 

manufacturers to identify and summarize technological approaches to dealing with barriers to safety belt usage. The staff 

of the Truck Manufacturers Association was especially helpful in this effort. 

Drawing from the literature review, surveys, and analysis of ergonomic factors, the CFAR research team summarized the 

principal factors and presented these to help guide the Partnership in planning and implementing outreach efforts to 

encourage increased safety belt use by CMV drivers. 

Survey Results 

Much of the additional information on CMV driver motivations relating to the use of safety belts was collected through 

two surveys. The first focused on fleet managers, gauging their approaches and policies relating to safety belt use. The 

second effort focused on the drivers, and information was gathered through interviews at truck stops and structured group 

interviews. 

The fleet manager survey included 120 respondents, based both on mail distribution and collection at meetings of 

trucking industry associations. This survey consisted of 36 questions, including general questions and those related to 

fleet methods to promote safety belt use, government/industry programs to promote use, general comments, and 

demographic questions. The managers listed the following major reasons that their drivers might not use safety belts: 

 Too much trouble and effort 

 Just forget to use them 

 Habit 

 Belt does not fit well 

 Uncomfortable for other reasons 

 Restricts movement in vehicle 

 Infringes on personal freedom 

 Worried about being trapped in vehicle 

 Don’t believe belts increase safety 

 Just don't like them 

 Part-time users (i.e., only in bad weather) 

With respect to methods that fleet managers used to promote use, the three top-rated methods were rewards/ 

recognition for observed use, observing driver belt use in vehicles, and punishments/reprimands for non-use. Other 

methods were also identified, and there were indications that fleet managers used multiple approaches to encourage 

drivers to use safety belts. The highest rated method involved industry and government programs showing crash testing 

with test dummies with and without safety belts. 
Availability: The synthesis report
 

"Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver
 

Safety Belt Usage" is available at
 

the Transportation Research Board
 

and can be found at www.trb.org.
 

Key Words: CMV, Carrier Safety,
 

Commercial Motor Vehicle, Safety
 

Belt, Seat Belt, Truck
 

Notice: This Tech Brief is
 

disseminated under the
 

sponsorship of the Department of
 

Transportation in the interest of
 

information exchange. The Tech
 

Brief provides a synopsis of the
 

study’s final publication. The Tech
 

Brief does not establish policies or
 

regulations, nor does it imply
 

USDOT endorsement of the
 

conclusions or recommendations.
 

The U.S. Government assumes no
 

liability for its contents or their use.
 

Web Site: FMCSA Tech and
 

Analysis Briefs may be accessed at
 

www.fmcsa.dot.gov.
 

Technical Writer: 

Michael Lang
 

C2 Technologies, Inc.
 

February 2007 

Publication No. FMCSA-MCRRR-07-010 

The principal driver survey, involving 238 respondents, was a structured interview 

conducted at two truck stop locations in Georgia and Wisconsin. The on-site 

random interviews were based on an interview guide that contained 18 questions 

about various topics, including safety belt functionality, carrier/driver interactions, 

trucking and driver demographics, and general information. The interview 

population indicated that they chose to wear a belt for safety reasons, the law, a 

habit, or because they had seen or been in a crash. For those who did not choose 

to wear a safety belt, the primary reason related to comfort, personal choice, or 

dislike. For those drivers who felt that truck safety belts should be more 

functional, they listed the following issues: 

 Limited range of arm and shoulder motion 

 Lap belt or shoulder harness is not long enough/too tight 

 Shoulder harness position is awkward 

 Belts ride too high or too low 

Some 62% of drivers had complaints about safety belts. The major complaints 

were that the safety belt: 

 Rubs or vibrates against neck/shoulder 

 Locks 

 Is uncomfortable 

 Is too tight 

 Has limited range of motion 

The major recommendations drivers gave that would make a safety belt easier to 

use were that it should not be too tight, not interfere with driving, be simple to put 

on and take off, and be easy to position. With respect to carrier and fleet 

interactions, most drivers who responded to these questions indicated that there is 

no penalty for non-use, and there are no special incentives that would encourage 

them to use safety belts. 

A review was conducted of ergonomic and human engineering factors in design 

and use or non-use of safety belts in commercial trucks as well as approaches to 

facilitating safety belt use by truck manufacturers. The CFAR research team 

ergonomist examined the interactions of generally used 3-point safety belts with a 

range of drivers and in different types of truck cabs. The research team also 

visited original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to examine installation of 

current seat and safety belt designs and to study differing approaches used in new 

large trucks. In general, the assessment was that the majority of safety belts were 

practical and functional and that newer belts had features that made them even 

more user-friendly. However, current belts were not as comfortable or effective 

with large- or small-statured individuals. Also the assessment found that many 

drivers observed were not fully aware of the features that made safety belts both 

comfortable and easy to use. The assessment also included additional ergonomics 

and human factors considerations such as ride quality, comfort, and the interaction 

of air-ride seats with safety belts. New technologies for safety belt comfort and 

user-friendly design were also discussed.