Expect to see increased police presence on the road starting Sunday as law enforcement agencies across the country begin a week-long crackdown on unsafe drivers.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week will take place from July 15 — 21. Multiple law enforcement agencies will be partnering with the CVSA to crack down on both commercial vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers for unsafe driving behaviors.
These behaviors include speeding, distracted driving, texting, failure to use a seatbelt while operating a CMV or in a passenger vehicle, following too closely, improper lane change, and failure to obey traffic control devices.
According to a release from the CVSA, unsafe driving is to blame for “more than 88 percent of large truck crashes and 93 percent of passenger vehicle crashes.”
Last year, Operation Safe Driver Week was held on the week of October 15 — 21. Officers issued 59,193 warnings and citations to both commercial motor vehicle drivers and motorists. Of those nearly 60,000 citations and warnings, 38,878 were issued to commercial vehicle drivers.
Here are the top five offenses for CMV drivers during last year’s Operation Safe Driver Week:
The top 5 CMV offenses:
- State/Local Moving Violations – 84.2 percent (of warnings/citations)
- Speeding – 7.4 percent
- Failure to Use Seat Belt – 2.6 percent
- Failure to Obey Traffic Control Device – 2.5 percent
- Using a Handheld Phone – 0.8 percent