Law enforcement authorities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico stopped 46,058 commercial and passenger vehicles that were engaged in reckless driving. This occurred during the CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver Week on July 11th-17th. Officers pulled over 28,145 commercial vehicles and 17,910 passenger cars. They issued warnings to 10,486 drivers and gave out 16,863 citations.
According to the CVSA, this year’s top violation was speeding. All together they gave out 2,929 warnings and 9,349 citations to passenger vehicles and 2,549 warnings and 1,690 citations to commercial drivers for speeding.
Keep reading to find out more about this top violation and how it impacts safety on the roads.
Speeding Is the Top Violation during Operation Safe Driver Week
These were the top five citations given to commercial motor vehicle drivers;
- Speeding (1,690)
- No seat belt (1,225)
- Failure to use traffic control device (522)
- Using cellphone while driving (344)
- Improper lane change (112)
These are the top five warnings given to commercial motor vehicle drivers;
- Speeding (2,549)
- No seat belt (954)
- Failure to use traffic control device (869)
- Using cellphone while driving (336)
- Improper lane change (310)
According to the CVSA’s President with the South Dakota Highway Patrol, John Broers, reckless driving is the primary reason for car crashes. The best way to avoid crashes is to improve and enforce driving and safety regulations and crack down on the drivers who fail to comply.
Operation Safe Driver Week and the Role of the FMCSA
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) also participated in Operation Safe Driver Week this year. The federal agency ran similar investigations by targeting commercial drivers who engage in reckless driving and have a history of crashes.
The FMCSA’s event went from June 7 until July 16 and all their divisions participated. The organization focused on high-risk and moderate-risk carriers for their off-site and on-site investigations. During the process, the FMCSA’s field workers did their investigation on 201 moderate-risk carriers and 90 high-risk ones. The investigation resulted in 30 unsatisfactory and 64 conditional ratings.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that 94 percent of accidents that occur is due to a driver. Furthermore, if a passenger car collides with a commercial vehicle, it can have terrible and catastrophic consequences. In fact, 71% of the deaths that occur in these situations is to the passenger vehicle driver and 18% of the time it’s the truck driver.
Summing Up
In a nutshell, safe driving practices need to be strictly enforced and followed. Due to the size of most commercial vehicles, an accident with one can be catastrophic and fatal for either party. The goal of the FMCSA and CVSA is to do their part and make the roadways as safe as possible for everyone.
Also, a benefit to safe driving behaviors is better rates on your truck insurance. If you and your drivers are in less accidents, the insurance company will view you as less risk for them. Talk with your insurance agent and see how your safe driving skills can result in lower premiums.
Sources
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/speeding-top-violation-during-cvsa-operation-safe-driver-week