Operation Safe Driver Week Starts Sunday

Law enforcement officers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will be on the lookout for commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver Week, July 9 to 15. Those exhibiting unsafe driving behaviors will be pulled over and given a warning and/or issued a ticket/citation by law enforcement, according to CVSA.

The weeklong driver safety traffic enforcement and awareness campaign aims to identify unsafe drivers, deter dangerous driving behaviors, and prompt positive driving habits through officer interactions with drivers. CVSA reports data shows that traffic stops and interactions with law enforcement help reduce problematic driving behaviors.

CVSA cites as examples of unsafe driver behaviors:

• Speeding
• improper lane changes
• improper passing
• improper turns
• driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• using a handheld device while driving
• failure to wear a seatbelt

Speeding Focus

Each year, Operation Safe Driver Week focuses on a specific unsafe driving behavior to call attention to the dangers of that behavior. This year, the focus will be on speeding, CVSA announced in a press release. In fact, its focus has been speeding since at least 2019.

CVSA said it has continued to focus on speeding because it remains a persistent problem on roadways and increases the frequency and severity of crashes. Unsafe driving speeds, according to CVSA, are a well-documented factor in fatalities and injuries.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation launched its National Roadway Safety Strategy, a comprehensive approach to significantly reducing serious injuries and deaths on highways, roads, and streets.

CVSA said Operation Safe Driver Week aims to improve roadway safety by reminding drivers, via driver safety communication and education, to manage their speeds and by addressing speeding via responsive traffic enforcement.

Free Postcards

CVSA is offering Operation Safe Driver Week postcards at no cost to its industry and enforcement members. The postcards are available in English, French, and Spanish.

Previous Years’ Results

Results from previous Operation Safe Driver Week campaigns can be viewed on the CVSA website.