VINELAND, NJ- Male commercial vehicle drivers are less likely to wear seatbelts than female commercial drivers, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization and South Jersey Traffic Safety Alliance, which found only 72 percent of commercial vehicle drivers wear seat belts.

Male commercial drivers' rate of use was only 71 percent compared to female commercial drivers at 89 percent. The regional rate of seat-belt usage for passenger-vehicle motorists is 90 percent.

The lowest rate among commercial drivers was found in concrete trucks (32 percent), followed by tow trucks (54 percent), trash trucks (57 percent), and tanker trucks (59 percent).

To be counted in the survey, vehicles had to be at least a single-unit truck and have a business logo on it.

The survey also found that commercial vehicle drivers used cell phones while driving at a higher rate than passenger-vehicle drivers, 6 percent to 4 percent.

Go to www.sjtsa.org to view the full report.