A seat belt safety program is a must if you want to keep your drivers safe and your Commercial Truck Insurance costs in check. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that "transportation incidents were the number one cause of on-the-job deaths with 2,460 fatalities out of a total of 5,703 fatal occupational injuries recorded." And "The average cost to a company for each property damage only truck crash is $11,020 (in 2003 dollars); per injury truck crash it is $174,367; and per fatal truck crash, it is $3,469,962. The average cost for all truck crashes per truck crash is $62,613."
Why are Seatbelt Safety Programs Vital to Business success?
First of all, it is the law, and failure to wear a seatbelt can result in state or federal penalties to drivers and employers. Plus, if a driver refuses to wear their seatbelt and receives traffic tickets for it, it could substantially increase your insurance costs or cause your insurance company to cancel your policy.
The FMCSA reports that safety belts, especially lap/shoulder belts, are effective in reducing injuries and fatalities and the cost of operating large trucks:
- More than 1 in 3 truck drivers who died in crashes in 2012 were not wearing seat belts (CDC).
- Buckling up could have prevented up to 40% of these deaths (CDC)
- Of the 168 drivers who died as a result of being ejected from their trucks in 2007, almost 75 percent of them were not wearing safety belts (FMCSA)
- 51% of truck-occupant-fatalities in large trucks involve rollovers. In a rollover, a truck driver is 80% less likely to die when wearing a safety belt (FMCSA)
And yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013, one in six drivers of large trucks didn't wear seat belts.
Why Are Seat Belts Effective?
Here are some of the reasons seat bests are effective, according to the FMCSA:
- Seat belts spread the stress and impact forces of a crash along the stronger and broader areas of the body, such as the hips and shoulders, thereby limiting injuries.
- Seat belts hold you in place while the vehicle absorbs the crash's impact and decelerates.
- In a crash, a seat belt keeps the driver in place behind the steering wheel and in control of the vehicle, thereby avoiding or reducing the consequences of an accident.
- Seat belts can keep you from being knocked unconscious, improving your chances of escape. In less than 5% of fatal large truck crashes, fire or submersion occurs.
Tips for Creating a Seat Belt Safety Program
The FMCSA suggests the following tips to create a seat belt program:
- Lead by example.
- Assign a program coordinator from each department to lead the effort.
- Allow employees to take an active role in safety decisions.
- Develop a seat belt training program.
- Evaluate your seat belt program.
- Promote your successes.
Training should include information about safety requirements (federal, state, and company-wide), the high cost of truck accidents, how and why seat belts are effective, and how to ensure proper seat belt fit and maintenance.
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