Operation Safe Driver Enforcement up Significantly

Law enforcement officers pulled over 74,765 commercial and passenger vehicle drivers during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 2013 Operation Safe Driver mobilization week, nearly triple the 26,487 stopped during last year’s event, according to just released figures.

Officers found that passenger car drivers continue to speed significantly more so than commercial vehicle drivers. Passenger vehicle drivers were issued a warning or citation for speeding 56% of the time, versus 7.3% for commercial vehicle drivers.

The top three reasons warnings and citations were issued to both commercial and non-commercial vehicle drivers included speeding, failing to use a safety belt and failure to obey traffic control devices.

During the week-long campaign, Oct 20 through 26,  data was collected by 6,174 law enforcement officials at 1,868 locations across the U.S. and Canada. There also were numerous outreach events that occurred throughout the week at high schools, state capitals, state fairs, truck rodeos, sporting events and other locations.

This year, 29,048 CMV traffic enforcement contacts were made while the total was 20,398 in 2012. Non-CMV traffic enforcement contacts totaled 45,717 in 2013, up significantly from 6,089 in 2012. Roadside inspections totaled 44,882 in 2013 versus 36,221 in 2012.

The speeding numbers revealed the percentage of warnings and citations per contact to CMV drivers for speeding decreased from 10.8% in 2012 to 7.3% in 2013, while the percentage of warning and citations issued to passenger car drivers for speeding decreased from 56.3% to 56.% in 2013.

The results also show a decrease in the number of warnings and citations for failure to use seat belts for commercial vehicle and passenger car drivers. For CMV drivers, the percentage dropped from 3.8% in 2012 to 2.9% in 2013. For passenger car drivers, the percentage dropped from 5.1% in 2012 vs. 2.6% in 2013.

Operation Safe Driver was launched in 2007 by CVSA, in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, to address the problem of improving the behavior of all drivers operating in an unsafe manner, either by, in, or around commercial vehicles and to initiate educational and enforcement strategies to address those exhibiting high-risk behaviors. CVSA also organizes the annual three-day truck inspection blitz, Road Check.

CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico.