Truck Crashes

Seat belts still best way to avoid crash injuries and deaths

Using a seatbelt is the single most effective intervention to prevent truck drivers from being injured or killed in a motor vehicle crash. According to a new CDC Vital Signs report, more than 1 in 3 truck drivers who died in crashes in 2012 were not buckled up, a decision which could have prevented approximately 40% of these deaths.

About 14% of long-haul truck drivers reported not using a seatbelt on every trip.
For each driver or passenger in a large truck who died, 6 other people (pedestrians, cyclists, people in other vehicles) died as a result of large-truck crashes in 2012.
Fatal crashes of large trucks and buses cost the U.S. economy about $40 billion in 2012.

To help promote seatbelt use and prevent crashes and injuries, employers can provide comprehensive driver safety programs that address other known risk factors such as drowsy and distracted driving. State interventions can include adding primary enforcement seatbelt laws that allow a police officer to pull over and ticket a driver or passenger for not wearing a seat belt, even if this is the only violation the officer sees – observed seat belt use for drivers of large trucks increased as more states added these laws. Engineering and design changes that provide increased comfort and range of motion when using seatbelts and allow adjustments for diverse body types can increase use of seatbelts among truck drivers. Learn more at: Trucker Safety

Contact Information

CDC Media Relations
(404) 639-3286
media@cdc.gov

Vital Signs Links

Factsheet:
English [3.85MB]
Spanish [2.7MB]

Stephanie Pratt, PhD

Biography

"Using a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent injury or death in the event of a crash,” said Stephanie Pratt, PhD, coordinator of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Center for Motor Vehicle Safety. “That said, the smartest strategy for safety is to prevent truck crashes from happening in the first place. Employers can help prevent crashes and injuries through comprehensive driver safety programs that address other known risk factors such as drowsy and distracted driving."

Stephanie Pratt, PhD - Coordinator, NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety CDC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research

Press Release: Truck crashes are the leading cause of on-the-job death for truck drivers in the US English | Spanish
MMWR – Vital Signs: Seat Belt Use among U.S. Long Haul Truck Drivers?United States, 2010 | PDF [318KB]
Vital Signs: Home | March 2015 Vital Signs | Fact Sheet PDF [3.85MB] | Issues
Vital Signs (Spanish): Home | March 2015 Vital Signs | Fact Sheet PDF [2.7MB] | Issues

Podcast

Vital Signs - Trucker Safety: Using a seat belt matters - English | Spanish
Vital Signs - Trucker Safety: Using a seat belt matters - [PSA - 0:60 seconds]

Syndicated Content Details:
Source URL: http://www.cdc.gov/media/DPK/2015/dpk-vs-truck-driver-safety.html
Source Agency: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Captured Date: 2016-05-23 23:03:57.0