Law enforcement officers in Canada and the U.S. pulled over 11,050 vehicles during this year’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) Safe Driver Week.
“Officers issued 2,712 tickets/citations and 3,228 warnings to commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers for various unsafe driving infractions,” the CVSA said.
Operation Safe Driver Week is an annual, pre-announced safe-driving initiative aimed at improving driving behaviors through traffic enforcement strategies, interactions with law enforcement, and outreach and awareness campaigns.
From July 7 to 13, officers issued 2,439 warnings and 1,583 tickets/citations to commercial motor vehicle drivers and 789 warnings and 1,129 tickets/citations to passenger vehicle drivers for unsafe driving behaviors.
“Reckless/careless/dangerous driving was the focus area for this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week,” the CVSA said. “Five warnings and 31 citations were given to drivers for reckless, careless or dangerous driving. Any person who drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is driving recklessly. Careless/dangerous driving is defined as operating a vehicle without due care and attention or reasonable consideration for other motorists or people on the road.”
Speeding was a top infraction during Operation Safe Driver Week. A total of 1,694 warnings and 1,226 citations/tickets were issued for speeding. Commercial motor vehicle drivers received 1,221 warnings and 502 tickets/citations, and passenger vehicle drivers received 473 warnings and 724 citations/tickets for speed-related infractions.
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 12,330 speeding-related fatalities in the U.S. in 2021, and speeding was a contributing factor in 29% of all fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Transport Canada found that speeding was contributing factor in 21.9% of all fatal collisions in Canada in 2022.
Another top unsafe driving behavior identified during Operation Safe Driver Week was failure to wear a seat belt. A total of 354 warnings and 554 tickets/citations were issued. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to prevent injury or death in a motor vehicle crash. Seat belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about half.
Commercial motor vehicle drivers received 328 warnings and 473 tickets/citations for not wearing their seat belt. According to the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an estimated 14% of commercial motor vehicle drivers do not wear their seat belt.
During Operation Safe Driver Week, passenger vehicle drivers were given 26 warnings and 81 tickets/citations for failure to wear a seat belt. NHTSA states that 8.1% of passenger vehicle drivers do not wear their seat belt.
Texting or using a handheld device was another top violation. A total of 158 warnings and 169 tickets/citations were issued to drivers who were texting or using a mobile device while driving. Passenger vehicle drivers received 67 warnings and 54 tickets/citations for texting/using a handheld device while behind the wheel. Commercial motor vehicle drivers received 91 warnings and 115 tickets/citations for texting/using a handheld device while operating a commercial motor vehicle.
NHTSA states that distracted driving claimed 3,308 lives in the U.S. in 2022. And according to Transport Canada’s National Collision Database, distracted driving contributed to an estimated 22.5% of fatal collisions on Canada’s roadways in 2021.
Thirty drivers received warnings and 49 were given a ticket/citation for possession/use/under influence of drugs/alcohol. In 2020, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving impaired drivers, accounting for 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S. Police-reported data for 2022 indicated that 70,588 impaired driving incidents were reported in Canada.
In the U.S., commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders with drug and alcohol program violations are identified in FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. CDL holders with “prohibited” status in the clearinghouse have lost their CDL or CLP and must complete the return-to-duty process to become eligible to have their license reinstated.
In addition to traffic stops, another important aspect of the Operation Safe Driver Week campaign is raising awareness of the dangers of unsafe driving behaviors in an effort to dissuade such behaviors.
CVSA mailed approximately 65,000 Operation Safe Driver Week postcards to inspectors and motor carriers for distribution in the weeks leading up to and during Operation Safe Driver Week.
CVSA worked with the Paramount/CBS network to educate passenger vehicle drivers about safely sharing the roads with large trucks. The campaign included videos, digital ad banners, and video and static awareness ads, which were featured on websites, social media and CBS’s digital streaming channels. The digital campaign delivered more than 8 million impressions.
In addition, the identification and prevention of human trafficking is a priority for law enforcement jurisdictions throughout North America. During Operation Safe Driver Week, officers reported conducting 1,924 awareness and educational activities to raise awareness of the crime of human trafficking, indicators to look for and what to do when a victim of human trafficking has been identified
The Operation Safe Driver Program, part of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s suite of transportation safety programs, was created to reduce the number of crashes involving commercial motor vehicles and passenger vehicles due to unsafe driving behaviors. Through initiatives like Operation Safe Driver Week, law enforcement jurisdictions, the motor carrier industry and federal agencies work together toward the same goal – preventing crashes, injuries and fatalities on North America’s roadways.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
