Why do we feel it’s worth an announcement to dedicate one week a year to safe driving habits? Seriously, why isn’t this a daily thing?
This year, Operation: Safe Driver Week is scheduled for July 7th through the 13th. During Safe Driver Week, law enforcement personnel will be on the lookout for commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in risky driving practices.
This program focuses specifically on drivers, because a driver’s actions are ultimately responsible for 94% of all traffic crashes.
Yes, this means YOU and your actions are going to be held accountable!
What’s The Why?
The safe-driving enforcement and outreach initiative aims to improve driving behaviors through educational and traffic-enforcement strategies and driver interactions with law enforcement.
Throughout this designated week, law enforcement in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will be looking for commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors. Behaviors such as distracted driving, speeding, following too closely, and drunk or impaired driving. According to CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance), drivers engaging in these behaviors will be pulled over by law enforcement and could very well be issued a warning or a citation.
During the weeklong safety blitz in 2023, officers issued almost 5,000 warnings and more than 2,500 tickets and citations to commercial vehicle drivers. Passenger vehicle drivers received more than 1,100 warnings and 1,800 tickets.
What’s This Year’s Focus?
The focus area for this year’s Operation: Safe Driver Week will be reckless, careless, or dangerous driving. CVSA defines reckless driving as operating a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. Careless and dangerous driving is considered as operating a vehicle without due care and attention or reasonable consideration for other motorists or people on the road.
Last year, speeding was the top infraction that drivers were cited for during the enforcement period. Commercial drivers received 1,575 warnings and 715 tickets between July 10th and 16th, 2023. According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), speeding accounts for nearly one-third of all roadway fatalities.
NHTSA touts how effective, high-visibility communications and outreach can be essential to successful transportation safety programs. However, communications and outreach programs are more likely to have an effect if they are connected to routine vigorous enforcement. Operation: Safe Driver Week aims to improve the safety of our roadways through proactive driver safety outreach and education, as well as by addressing unsafe driving behaviors through responsive traffic enforcement when drivers are identified as engaging in dangerous driving behaviors.
Info To Know
Safe Driver Week is part of CVSA’s Operation: Safe Driver Program. A program which offers resources for teen and new drivers and commercial motor vehicle drivers, along with safe-driving public service announcement videos, which can be available for download and/or distribution.
CVSA noted that state, provincial, territorial, and local law enforcement jurisdictions; the motor carrier industry; the U.S. FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration); Transport Canada; and Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, and Transportation are all working in conjunction to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities on North America’s roadways.
Be aware. Be educated. Be safe.