August law mandates commercial truck passengers required to wear seat belts

In the world of expedited freight delivery services, on-time delivery and safety are both of paramount importance so it's good to see an overdue law being added to the books concerning commercial truck safety. This week it has been confirmed that the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are enacting a law that states that any passengers riding in large commercial trucks will need to use seat belts whenever the vehicles are operated on public roads in interstate commerce.

The new ruling comes into effect in two months time on August 8, 2016 - the law will hold motor carriers and drivers accountable to ensure that any and all passengers in large commercial trucks are using the installed seat belts in the vehicle. We understand just how important expedited freight delivery services are and this law reinforces the equally important matter of road safety.

The safety aspect is both logical and sobering as Federal data shows that some 37 passengers who were traveling without using a seat belt in the cab of a truck were killed during vehicle accidents in 2014 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Many of these fatalities were ejected from the cab of the truck.

US Transportation secretary Anthony Foxx said:

“Seat belts save lives – period. Whether you’re a driver or passenger, in a personal vehicle or large truck, the simple act of wearing a safety belt significantly reduces the risk of fatality in a crash.”

You can read the official ruling via this link