The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) released data late last week on the results of its Operation Safe Driver Week held July 11-17. Operation Safe Driver is aimed at enforcing traffic laws against passenger cars driving unsafely around large trucks and vice versa. Over the 7-day period, enforcement officers throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico stopped over 46,000 passenger and commercial motor vehicle drivers for engaging in dangerous driving behaviors.
Of the total stops, 28,148 were commercial motor vehicles and 17,910 were passenger vehicles. Drivers were issued 10,486 warnings and 16,863 citations. Of the total, 11,039 citations and 5,478 warnings were written for speeding/basic speed law/driving too fast for conditions.
A majority of the speeding citations and warnings (9,349 and 2,929 respectively) went to passenger vehicle drivers, with 1,690 speed-related citations and 2,549 warnings given to commercial vehicle drivers.
In addition to speeding, the next highest reasons CDL drivers were cited were:
• failure to wear a seat belt (1,225)
• failure to obey a traffic control device (522)
• texting with a handheld phone (344)
• improper lane change (112)
Commercial enforcement officers are on the lookout for these unsafe driving behaviors all year long, but particularly for unsafe speed or driving too fast for conditions.
Check below for tips for drivers compiled by our safety consultants. Follow these tips to avoid having to speed to make delivery appointments and to operate more safely on the highway.
Every year, TAT (formerly called Truckers Against Trafficking) honors a member of the trucking, bus or energy industry, whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place, with the Harriet Tubman Award
Bob Costello has indicated that the freight market has improved – but very slowly – since January. It must be said that ATA’s indices are dominated by contract freight as opposed to spot rates.
Now, however, with Republican control of both houses of Congress and the White House (and, some say, the Supreme Court) I am optimistic that trucking will get a fairer shake than it has during Biden’s term in office.