The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released findings that show bus and truck driver compliance with seat belt laws has grown by nine percent nationwide since 2007.

The 827 roadside inspections took note of seat belt usage by the 20,818 drivers operating medium- and heavy-duty buses and trucks. The results showed that 78 percent of the drivers and other vehicle occupants wore seat belts in states with primary enforcement laws compared to only 67 percent in states with weaker seat belt laws.

Compliance was also better with drivers who work for national fleets versus independent owner-operators, 78 percent to 64 percent, respectively. Safety belt use rates were also highest in western states at 79 percent. This was compared to 75 percent in the South, 68 percent in the Midwest and 64 percent in the Northeast.