Report suggests only half of truck drivers use safety belts02 September 2013

Despite their well-documented benefits in an accident, half of all truck drivers choose not to use their safety belts, a report has claimed.

The recent survey, conducted by Sweden's National Society for Road Safety (NTF), was based on observations of more than 700 truck drivers and interviews with more than 200 of them between 2011 and 2013.

Most said they used safety belts when driving a car, but only half did so behind the wheel of their truck. Among the reasons given were that it is difficult, inconvenient or time-consuming to put on and take off the belt.

"If more road users wore their safety belts, more than 7,000 lives would be saved every year in the EU alone. Professional drivers should serve here as an example," says Carl Johan Almqvist, traffic and product safety director Volvo Trucks.

The chances of surviving a serious road accident are doubled if the driver or passenger uses a safety belt. This can be seen, for instance, in the most recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report entitled 'Global Status Report on Road Safety 2013'. The report emphasises increased belt usage as one of the most crucial issues for improving traffic safety.

Today there is legislation requiring safety belt usage in 111 countries the world over and, as of 2006, compulsory belt use has been required in the EU for both cars and trucks.

"At Volvo Trucks we invest considerable resources in the development of accident-prevention systems, but as long as the human factor plays such a big role it will never be possible to entirely eliminate the risk of road accidents," continues Almqvist.

"I would therefore encourage both haulage firms and drivers to do what they can to improve safety. The simplest measure of all is naturally to use the single most important safety feature on board – the safety belt."

Author
John Challen

Related Companies
Volvo Bus Corporation

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