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COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE
DRIVER SAFETY BELT USAGE
SUMMARY This synthesis focuses on (1) the motivating factors that influence commercial
motor vehicle (CMV) drivers in deciding whether to wear safety belts and (2) research
and suggested practices that address CMV safety belt usage. The Federal Motor Car-
rier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is keenly interested in efforts that will yield
increased safety belt usage. This synthesis supports this FMCSA interest and its goals
to increase safety belt usage.
The initial step in this research project was a summary of available information in the
safety literature and in other sources on the factors that influence CMV drivers to use or
not to use safety belts in their daily operations, including a special focus on driver moti-
vational factors. The literature review identified and annotated past and current ongoing
research on safety belt use by CMV drivers, not only in the United States, but in other
countries as well (Australia and the United Kingdom are key examples).
Much of the additional information on CMV driver motivations relating to safety
belt usage was collected through two surveys. The first focused on fleet managers,
gauging their approaches and policies relating to safety belt use by their drivers. The
second effort focused on the drivers themselves and was gathered through interviews
at truck stops and through more 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 questions relating to fleet methods to pro-
mote safety belt use, government/industry programs to promote use, general comments,
and demographic questions. The fleet manager survey results are explained in detail in
Chapter 4. The managers listed the following major reasons their drivers might not use
safety belts:
1. Too much trouble and effort
2. Just forget
3. Habit
4. Belt does not fit well
5. Uncomfortable for other reasons
6. Restricts movement in vehicle
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7. Infringes on personal freedom
8. Worried about being trapped in vehicle
9. Don't believe belts increase safety
10. Just don't like them
11. Part-time users; e.g., 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 vehi-
cles, and punishments/reprimands for non-use. Other methods were also identified, and
there were indications that fleet managers used multiple approaches to encourage driv-
ers to use safety belts. The highest rated method involving industry and government
programs was showing crash testing with test dummies with and without safety belts.
The principal driver survey, involving 238 respondents, was a structured interview
conducted at two truck stop locations, one in Georgia and one in Wisconsin. The on-site
random interviews were based on an interview guide that contained 18 questions, includ-
ing general questions and questions about safety belt functionality, carrier/driver inter-
actions, and trucking and driver demographics. The detailed results of these interviews
are presented in Chapter 5. The interview population indicated that the substantial
majority wore safety belts all or most of the time. They chose to wear a belt primarily
because of safety, because it was the law, it was a habit, or they had seen or been in an
accident. For those who did not choose to wear a belt, the primary reason related to com-
fort, personal choice, or dislike. For those drivers who felt that truck safety belts should
be more functional, they listed the following issues relating to functionality:
1. Limited range of arm and shoulder motion
2. Lap belt or shoulder harness is not long enough/too tight
3. Shoulder harness position is awkward
4. Belts ride too high or too low
Some 62% of drivers did have complaints about safety belts. The major complaints
were as follows:
1. Safety belt rubs or vibrates against neck/shoulder
2. Safety belt locks
3. Safety belt is uncomfortable
4. Safety belt is too tight
5. Safety belt has limited range of motion
The major reasons drivers gave that would make a safety belt easy to use were that
it should not be too tight, not interfere with driving, be easy 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.
Chapter 6 of this synthesis reviews the results of two focus groups held with a num-
ber of drivers in group settings. These results were similar in many respects to those of
the driver interviews and also included general questions and questions about func-
tionality and carrier/driver interactions.
The regulatory framework relating to safety belt use by CMV drivers is set out in
Chapter 3.
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
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by truck manufacturers is included in Chapter 7. The research team ergonomist exam-
ined 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 man-
ufacturers (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 belts
both comfortable and easy to use. The assessment also included additional ergonomics
and human factors considerations such as ride quality and comfort and interaction of
air-ride seats with safety belts. New technologies for safety belt comfort and user-
friendly design were also discussed.
Chapter 8 contains general conclusions of the synthesis, including a discussion of
the suggested practice techniques used by transportation managers--especially fleet
managers--to encourage and potentially enforce safety belt usage as a part of fleet
management safety operations. These practices were drawn from the literature review
and responses to the fleet manager and driver surveys. These suggested practices
include improved educational and motivational efforts on the part of fleet managers to
increase safety belt usage and to use or install those belts which have comfort and ease
of use features.
Chapter 8 also presents recommendations relating to potential research to further
improve knowledge on motivational factors affecting safety belt usage.
Throughout the conduct of this study, the research team coordinated its efforts with
the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership (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.
