Seat Belt & Load Securement Rules PDF

Seat Belt It’s the law. FMICSR 392.16 requires a CMY driver and all other occupants in the vehicle to wear a seat belt. Law enforcement in 35 states and the District of Columbia may have the right to pull over and cite a driver if that driver and/or passenger(s) are not wearing a seat belt (prima...

Seat Belt It’s the law. FMICSR 392.16 requires a CMY driver and all other occupants in the vehicle to wear a seat belt. Law enforcement in 35 states and the District of Columbia may have the right to pull over and cite a driver if that driver and/or passenger(s) are not wearing a seat belt (primary enforcement); 20 of those and D.C. include rear seat passengers. Fifteen states’ police may cite an adult front seat occupant for not wearing a seat belt if pulled over for another traffic violation (secondary enforcement) with many of those having primary enforcement for younger drivers and/or passengers in the front seat; 11 states have secondary enforcement for rear seat passen- gers as well. U.S. DOT studies show that seat belt usage among CMY drivers has improved over the years. According to the Safety Belt Usage by Com- mercial Motor Vehicle (CMW) Drivers Survey released by FMCS4A, seat belt usage reached an all-time high in 2016 where 86% of all CMV drivers are wearing their seat belts, an increase from 84% in 2013. Hard evidence shows that, each year, seat belts prevent 15,700 fatali- ties, 350,000 serious injuries, and $67 billion in costs associated with traffic injuries and deaths. Load Securement In 2002, FMCSA published updated cargo securement rules in Subpart I to Part 393, which became effective January 1, 2004, for motor carriers operating in interstate commerce. The rules set forth how a motor carrier and driver should use cargo securement devices to prevent articles from shifting on or within, or falling from, CMVs. In short, cargo must be firmly immobilized or secured on or within the vehicle by structures of adequate strength, dunnage (loose materials used to support and protect cargo) or dunnage bags (inflat- able bags intended to fill space between articles of cargo, etc.), shoring bars, tiedowns (straps, chain, rope, etc.), or a combination of these. The rules cover all types of cargo except commodities in bulk that lack structure or fixed shape (e.g., liquids, gases, grain, liquid concrete, sand, gravel, and aggregates) and are transported in a tank, hopper, box, or sumilar device that is part of the truck. ‘The rules also Bela