General Knowledge · Basic Control of Your Vehicle
What does federal law require of a driver operating a commercial motor vehicle equipped with a seat belt?
1.The driver must be properly restrained by the seat belt whenever the vehicle is being operatedCorrect answer
2.The driver only needs the seat belt fastened once highway speed exceeds about 45 mph
3.The seat belt becomes optional once the vehicle is equipped with a driver's side airbag
4.The seat belt is only required by law when the vehicle is carrying passengers
Explanation
A driver may not operate a commercial motor vehicle that has a seat belt assembly at the driver's seat unless the driver is properly restrained by it, under 49 CFR 392.16. This applies at any speed and on any trip, since a driver can be thrown from the seat in a sudden stop or crash regardless of how fast the vehicle was moving or whether passengers are aboard. The speed threshold in one wrong option and the passenger condition in another both invent exceptions that the rule does not contain. An airbag does not substitute for a seat belt either, since it is a supplemental system designed to work together with a fastened belt, not a replacement for one.
Source: 49 CFR 392.16
Related Basic Control of Your Vehicle questions
- Why should a driver partly engage the clutch, or apply the trailer brake hand valve, before releasing the service brake when starting from a stop?
- How should a driver hold the steering wheel of a commercial motor vehicle?
- When stopping a commercial motor vehicle, how should a driver apply the brakes?
- When backing a commercial motor vehicle, why is backing toward the driver's side the preferred choice whenever it is possible?