HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania State Police will conduct a statewide enforcement campaign in May to promote commercial vehicle driver compliance with seat belt and drivers’ hours of service regulations, Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller announced.
As part of the Commercial Vehicle SAFE (Seatbelt And Fatigue Enforcement) Driver Enforcement effort, each State Police troop will use trained motor carrier personnel to conduct motor carrier inspections aimed at identifying fatigued commercial vehicle drivers and those not wearing their seat belts, Miller said.
“While national statistics show that 82 percent of the general driving population wear a safety belt, only 65 percent of commercial vehicle drivers buckle up when they climb behind the wheel”, Miller said. He noted that in 2006, 45 percent of commercial vehicle drivers killed in crashes nationally were not wearing safety belts.
Federal regulations require commercial vehicle drivers to use proper restraints. Failure to be buckled up is enforceable by State Police as a primary violation, which means a trooper can stop commercial vehicle driver simply for not wearing a seat belt.
Miller said State Police also are concerned about commercial vehicle drivers who drive more hours than permitted by regulations. “We want every driver, and particularly those behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle, to be alert at all times,” he said.