Together for Safer Roads, an organization aimed at improving road safety, has launched a global initiative to increase seat belt usage among commercial vehicle drivers and passengers.
While 92% of all U.S. drivers buckle up, commercial fleets face a significant compliance gap. Approximately 14% of commercial motor vehicle drivers and 27% of their passengers don’t, according to the organization.
Peter Goldwasser, Executive Director of Together for Safer Roads, said the program builds on a Seat Belt Safety Standard Operating Procedures guide.
“The SOP is the industry’s only comprehensive operating guide to help improve seat belts and fleets,” Goldwasser said.
A new tool called the Seat Belt Safety Scorecard is also being developed as part of the initiative. This framework is designed to help organizations benchmark their progress and identify specific gaps in how seat belt best practices are embedded within their daily operations.
The organization plans to make these resources available to commercial fleets at no cost. Goldwasser emphasized that the goal is to help companies translate safety knowledge into consistent driver behavior.
“The message is really simple. We know this works,” Goldwasser said. “And this initiative is meant to help fleets understand how they can cross that line and help their drivers wear them every time for every journey.”
Autoliv serves as the anchor partner for the project and will provide technical expertise and operational data. UPS has signed on as the founding implementing member to share operational experience.
In Washington, anyone can be pulled over for failing to wear a seat belt. Despite high overall usage in the state, Washington State Patrol data shows that unrestrained people in commercial vehicles accounted for 14 of the 38 total deaths in those vehicles between 2020 and 2025.
While investigators could not confirm if the lack of a seat belt was the direct cause of every death, they cited it as a contributing factor.
Together for Safer Roads aims to reach 500 fleets across 10 countries by 2030. This timeline aligns with the United Nations Second Decade of Action for Road Safety, which targets a 50% reduction in global road deaths and injuries by the same year.
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