Truck Seat Belt Violations: NHTSA Plans a New Study

Truck Seat Belt Violations: NHTSA Plans New Safety Study

The federal government plans to study how well its ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign works. The goal is to learn if safety ads and police stops help more drivers use seat belts. The new study comes as federal data shows that truck seat belt violations remain a concern in the trucking industry.

Truck drivers must follow federal seat belt rules at all times. A violation can lead to a ticket and affect a trucking company’s safety record. Crash data also shows that wearing a seat belt can help save lives.

The new study will not change any trucking laws or add new fines. However, the results may help shape future safety campaigns.

Thousands of Truck Seat Belt Violations Reported

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) tracks safety violations found during truck inspections. Its records show that many truck drivers still fail to wear seat belts.

In 2023, inspectors recorded 53,605 seat belt violations during commercial vehicle inspections. This made seat belt use one of the most common driver violations listed in FMCSA’s 2024 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics.

The total counts violations, not the number of drivers involved. It also does not show how many truck drivers wear seat belts each day. Still, the data shows that truck seat belt use remains a concern during inspections.

What Federal Truck Seat Belt Rules Require

Federal rule 49 CFR 392.16 requires truck drivers to wear seat belts while driving. The rule applies to commercial trucks that have seat belts installed.

Trucking companies must also follow this rule. They cannot require or allow drivers to operate trucks without using the required seat belt. Other people riding in property-carrying trucks must also use the installed seat belts at their seats.

These rules apply every day of the year. They are not limited to special safety campaigns or inspection events.

Drivers who break the rule may receive a ticket. If an inspector records the violation, it can also affect the trucking company’s federal safety record.

How Truck Seat Belt Violations Affect Safety Scores

FMCSA uses a system to track the safety records of trucking companies. This is called the Safety Measurement System, or SMS.

Under this system, seat belt violations fall into the Unsafe Driving category. Each seat belt violation has a severity weight of seven under FMCSA’s SMS methodology.

These violations can affect how FMCSA rates a carrier’s safety record. The impact depends on the company’s overall history of inspections and violations.

One seat belt violation does not mean a trucking company will face federal action. It also does not automatically place a driver out of service. However, a driver may still face a ticket or other action under the law.

For owner-operators, these violations can affect both their driving record and their business.

Crash Data Shows Why Truck Seat Belt Use Matters

Federal crash data shows the risks faced by truck drivers who do not wear seat belts.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that 781 large truck drivers died in crashes during 2024. Of those drivers, 293 were not wearing seat belts.

Another 349 drivers were wearing seat belts. Seat belt use was unknown for the other 139 drivers.

These numbers do not mean that every death could have been prevented. However, they show that many truck drivers who died in crashes were not wearing seat belts.

Earlier FMCSA data also shows a large gap in death rates. In 2022, about 45% of unbelted large truck occupants involved in fatal crashes died. For those wearing seat belts, the rate was about 8%.

These figures come from FMCSA’s Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2022 report. They only cover people involved in fatal crashes, not all crashes. Still, they show why seat belts play a key role in truck safety.

Seat belts can also help keep drivers inside their trucks during a crash. They may help drivers stay in place and keep control during a sudden move.

NHTSA Plans New ‘Click It or Ticket’ Study

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) plans to study its ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign.

The agency outlined its plans in a Federal Register notice scheduled for November 3, 2026. The study will look at how well safety messages and police enforcement affect seat belt use.

NHTSA plans to collect 14,400 survey responses in three stages. Each stage will include about 4,800 responses from licensed adult drivers.

The surveys will take place before, during, and after the national ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign in May. They will ask drivers about seat belt use, safety messages, and law enforcement.

The agency also plans to observe seat belt use along roads. It will review campaign efforts in four selected states.

The study is not aimed only at truck drivers or CDL holders. Because of this, the results may not show how the campaign affects commercial truck drivers.

NHTSA is also seeking public comments on the proposed study. Comments can be submitted under docket NHTSA-2026-0100.

Do ‘Click It or Ticket’ Campaigns Work?

Past NHTSA studies show that ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaigns can help increase seat belt use.

One study looked at the 2002 campaign. Seat belt use rose by 8.6 percentage points across 10 states that used large amounts of paid advertising.

States that spent less on advertising saw smaller gains. The findings suggest that safety ads and police enforcement can help change driving habits.

Later research also found that the campaigns helped more people recognize the ‘Click It or Ticket’ message. Recognition of the slogan rose from 73% to 83% during an earlier study period.

These findings are included in NHTSA’s review of high-visibility seat belt enforcement.

However, seat belt use is much higher today than it was when the campaigns began. NHTSA reports that national seat belt use reached 91.3% in 2025. That figure measures adult front-seat occupants in passenger vehicles, not truck drivers.

Because seat belt use is already high among passenger vehicle occupants, future campaigns may lead to smaller gains. The new study could help show whether these campaigns still work.

What the New Study Means for Truck Drivers

The proposed NHTSA study does not create new seat belt laws or increase fines. It also does not call for more commercial truck inspections.

Truck drivers and motor carriers must continue to follow the rules already in place. Those rules require seat belt use and allow inspectors to record violations.

The new research may help officials plan future safety campaigns. However, NHTSA has not announced any new enforcement steps aimed at commercial trucks.

For trucking companies, truck seat belt use remains an important part of driver safety and federal compliance. Violations can affect safety records, while crash data shows the risks of driving without a seat belt.

The upcoming study may offer new facts about how drivers respond to safety ads and enforcement. For commercial truck drivers, the main issue remains the same: seat belt use is required by law and plays a key role in road safety.