The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are kicking off the "Operation Safe Driver" campaign on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Md.
The 2009 campaign aims at reducing unsafe driving behaviors by trucks, buses and passenger vehicles.

The campaign was designed as a way to address the 12 percent of fatal crashes on highways that involve trucks and buses, CVSA says. It's intended to improve commercial and non-commercial driver behavior and performance through effective enforcement, education and awareness strategies. The campaign will take place Oct. 18-24, 2009, across North America.

The Oct. 20 event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It will include the debut of the national Operation Safe Driver public service announcement as well as the new "Teens and Trucks" Training Program.

Speakers will include Frances "Buzzy" France, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance; Rose McMurray, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Brian McLaughlin, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Karen Rasmussen, Arizona Trucking Association; Gov. Bill Graves, American Trucking Associations; Victor Parra, United Motorcoach Association; John Saunders, Governors Highway Safety Association; Kelly Hardy, Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; and Mark Neil, National District Attorneys Association.

More info: www.cvsa.org