Half of all truck drivers across Europe are putting their lives at risk by failing to belt up before they take to the roads, new research has shown.
According to vehicle manufacturer Volvo Trucks, seatbelt use ranges from ten to 70 per cent in European countries, with an average of 50 per cent of drivers using the life-saving devices.
The company said lorry drivers are particularly bad culprits for failing to buckle up, believing they are safer in a big truck than in a small passenger car.
However, Volvo Trucks' product safety director Carl-Johan Almqvist said unbelted truck drivers are at risk of suffering severe injuries, no matter how advanced a vehicle's safety technology may be.
"Without a safety belt, you are never going to sit safely inside a truck no matter how much work we have invested in the vehicle. Making trucks entirely safe for unbelted drivers is an impossible task," he claimed.
Last month, a report by the Public Accounts Committee suggested that more needed to be done to remove dangerous foreign vehicles and drivers from British roads.
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