Jul 10, 2008

Seat Belt Usage Among Commercial Drivers Low

Despite tougher seat belt laws and increasingly stringent corporate policies, seat belt usage statistics remain low, according to a study by DriveCam. The Risk InfoCenter analysis of risky driving behavior data gathered from 1,985 commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in the distribution sector reveals that 1,286 -- or nearly 65 percent of the drivers -- had at least one seat belt violation. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safety Belt Usage by Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers 2007 Survey, released earlier this year, told a similar story. It revealed that the 2007 overall safety belt usage rate for drivers of all medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses combined was 65 percent.

“We found that seat belt usage rates were even lower among drivers already exhibiting other risky driving behaviors,” said Del Lisk, vice president of safety services at DriveCam. “In other words, drivers taking more risk behind the wheel were less likely to buckle up. Despite legislation, awareness campaigns and corporate mandates that drivers buckle up, only 35 percent of drivers in video metadata we reviewed were constantly wearing seat belts.”

Exceptional forces, such as hard braking, sudden acceleration, swerving or a collision, trigger DriveCam’s in-vehicle video event recorders to capture critical seconds of sights and sounds inside and outside vehicles. Certified driving-risk analysts review saved events, assign them a risk score and forward with comments to fleet managers so they can discuss the events with drivers and provide coaching to improve driving behavior. Analysts note whether or not drivers are wearing seat belts when they review risky driving events.

“Often our fleet customers overestimate their seat belt compliance rates and are shocked when they realize that many of their drivers routinely do not buckle up,” added Lisk. “Without DriveCam’s video evidence, they would have no way of knowing what percentage of drivers is actually wearing seat belts when they are out in the field.”