The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver Week has been set for the week of July 15-21, 2018, with law enforcement around the country joining in on the effort to spot unsafe driving behaviors by commercial vehicle drivers and passenger vehicles.

The CVSA continues to target unsafe driving behavior because it remains the leading cause of highway crashes according to a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration study. That study cited driver behavior as the critical reason behind 88% of large truck crashes and 93% of all passenger vehicle crashes.

The Operation Safe Driver Program was created to help reduce the number of crashes, deaths, and injuries involving commercial vehicles due to unsafe driving behaviors. During the week, there will be increased commercial vehicle and passenger vehicle traffic enforcement. Enforcement personnel will be targeting unsafe driving behaviors such as speeding, distracted driving, texting, failure to us a seatbelt, following too closely, improper lane change and failure to obey traffic control devices.

Last year’s Operation Safe Driver Week saw nearly 39,000 citations and warnings handed out to commercial vehicle drivers. State and local moving violations made up the bulk of warnings and citations followed by speeding, failing to use a seat belt, failing to obey traffic control devices and, using a cell phone. Only 18 commercial drivers were cited for operating while ill or fatigued, while a total of 86 were given warnings. 

Operation Safe Driver Week is sponsored by CVSA, in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and with support from industry and transportation safety organizations, and aims to help improve the behavior of all drivers operating in an unsafe manner – either in or around CMVs – through educational and traffic enforcement strategies to address individuals exhibiting high-risk driving behaviors.