FMCSA to mandate seat belts for large-truck passengers

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would require passengers riding in property-carrying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to use safety belts. CMV drivers must use seat belts as rquired by 49 CFR 392.16. The agency's proposal would hold both the motor carrier operating the vehicle and the CMV driver responsible for ensuring passengers use seat belts.

The proposal responds to an October 2013 petition submitted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) requesting that FMCSA require all occupants in a property-carrying CMV restrain themselves when it is being driven. According to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 275 occupants of large trucks killed in crashes in 2013 were not wearing their safety belts.

Comments are due Jan. 25. For a copy of the NPRM, click here.