Apparently, there are some influential people with a little too much time on their hands. Evidence of this observation comes in the form of a proposed law (Assembly Bill 1278) that would require truck drivers to wear seatbelts. Nobody questions the virtues of using seatbelts, but what spawned such a piece of legislation? Is there an epidemic of heavy hauler fatalities that could have been averted if only the driver had been wearing a seatbelt? Are commercial drivers purposefully neglecting to “buckle up” simply because they know that existing law does not require them to do so? Does the future hold citations or criminal prosecution for companies who fail to require their drivers to buckle up as we currently face if a driver violates hours of service?

UHCA contacted the State Capitol office of Assembly Member Tony Cardenas, author of AB 1278, in search of an explanation. The staff member responsible for answering questions about the heavy hauler seatbelt law told UHCA, “Not only is this requirement going to ensure the safety of the driver, but also it will hold him securely in place during tenuous driving conditions.” So that explains AB 1278.....we’re going to prevent drivers from sliding across to the passenger side of the cab during sharp left turns.

Having gained some insight as to the reasoning behind AB 1278, we were still facing the burning question of enforcement. How exactly do the proponents of this bill envision enforcement? Realizing that our enforcement ideas were far from tenable, we decided to call the California Highway Patrol to ask what measures would be taken to enforce heavy hauler seatbelts, if AB 1278 should be signed into law.

The CHP responded, “Truly, this bill would be impossible for the us to enforce. Unless we were to deploy a heavy haul unit of the CHP that could drive at eye-level alongside commercial vehicles, it would be impossible for our patrol officers to know whether or not a commercial driver is wearing a seatbelt. In fact, the only time we can accurately determine whether or not the driver of a tractor trailer has been using a seatbelt is at the scene of an accident.”

Now comes the real shocker.....AB 1278 is sponsored by the California Trucking Association. Drawing a correlation between big rig seatbelt requirements and the profitability of your trucking company requires a tremendous amount of imagination. Isn’t this the kind of work we usually leave for bureaucrats and regulatory agencies??? Regardless of whether seatbelts for heavy haulers are required by state law, and despite the impossibility of enforcement, UHCA urges you to “buckle up”. Exercise your personal freedom of choice to use common sense.

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