Georgia Injury Law Blog
Seatbelts save lives, and as new estimates indicate, the number of commercial truck drivers choosing to buckle up to prevent serious injuries or deaths in truck accidents, has increased.According to a study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the number of commercial truck drivers wearing seat belts has increased substantially in 2010.As an Atlanta injury lawyer, I have represented a number of truck drivers involved in accidents with other truck drivers. I have consistently found that the truck drivers who have been in their seatbelts sustained far less serious injuries than the truckers who were not wearing seatbelts.
Seatbelt usage among commercial truck drivers increased to 78% in 2010 from 74% the previous year.That is the fourth consecutive annual increase in seat belt usage in this section of the population.According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, approximately 80% of commercial truck drivers in states that have primary seat belt laws wore seatbelts.However, in states which do not have primary seat belt laws, the seat belt usage rate among commercial truck drivers dropped to only 72%.
The FMCSA is also reporting an increase in seat belt usage rates among both commercial truck and bus drivers in 2010.Those rates were 78% in 2010, compared to just 65% in 2007.
Atlanta truck accident attorneys credit the fact that most states now have primary seat belt laws that allow law enforcement officers to ticket a driver for failing to wear seat belts even if no other infractions are noted, for this spike in seat belt usage.Besides, the federal agency believes that greater enforcement has led to an increase in seat belt usage rates.The federal administration has also been spending more time educating commercial truck and bus drivers about the need to buckle up at all times.
Commercial truck drivers are at a high risk of ejections during serious truck accidents like rollovers.Due to the weight and balance specifications in these vehicles, commercial trucks are at a much higher risk of rollovers, especially when the vehicle is traveling at high speeds and makes a turn.