Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Oct. 6, 2023:
While the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver week traffic-enforcement and safe-driving awareness and education initiative is aimed at drivers of both cars and trucks, commercial vehicle drivers received the majority of warnings and tickets/citations during the week.
Law enforcement officers in Canada and the U.S. initiated 11,448 traffic stops of commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers who were engaging in unsafe driving behaviors during Operation Safe Driver Week, held July 10-16.
Officers issued a total of 4,494 tickets/citations and 5,756 warnings to drivers of both commercial and passenger vehicles. Of those, 2,634 tickets/citations and 4,592 warnings were given to commercial motor vehicle drivers, while 1,860 tickets/citations and 1,164 warnings were issued to passenger vehicle drivers.
Speeding was the No. 1 reason that truck drivers received warnings during Operation Safe Driver Week, while it was the No. 2 reason for tickets.CVSA
Drivers were given warnings or issued tickets/citations for “other state/local driver violations,” which was the No. 1 reason for tickets/citations for commercial motor vehicle drivers and No. 2 for passenger vehicle drivers during this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week. “Other state/local driver violations” include such violations as no registration certificate, no proof of insurance, size and weight violations, defective equipment, etc., which are violations officers usually discover after they have pulled over a driver for another infraction.
Another top unsafe driving behavior identified during Operation Safe Driver Week was failure to wear a seat belt. A total of 512 warnings and 553 tickets/citations were issued. Commercial vehicle drivers received 455 warnings and 467 tickets/citations for not wearing their seat belt.
