The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance is calling on all drivers to make a difference, reduce aggressive and distracted driving and save lives across North America with its annual Operation Safe Driver campaign mobilization week Oct. 16-22. “Each year, more than 36,000 people die on the roadways throughout North America – about 4,000 of which are related to large trucks and buses,” says Stephen Keppler, CVSA’s executive director. “Many of these deaths are the direct result of unsafe and aggressive driving practices by both passenger and commercial vehicle drivers.”
During the week of Oct. 16-22. law enforcement across North America will respond by actively targeting these drivers during “Operation Safe Driver,” a program sponsored by CVSA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as well as strategic partners including American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, American Trucking Associations, American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association, FedEx Corp., Governors Highway Safety Association, National District Attorneys Association and United Motorcoach Association.
“We are asking all drivers to join us in providing solutions to this pandemic and to fight back against aggressive and unsafe driving practices, especially distracted driving,” Keppler says. “We need the public’s help in putting a face on safety within our communities and spheres of influence. As an individual, a company or association, there are many things you can do to make a difference. It starts with educating your own employees about the dangers of aggressive and unsafe driving. In addition, you can become an active supporter to stop these senseless deaths that occur daily and affect each and every one of us.”
Operation Safe Driver will take place across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its aim is to increase activities related to commercial vehicle and noncommercial vehicle traffic enforcement; safety belt enforcement; driver roadside safety inspections; driver regulatory compliance; implementation of commercial driver educational and awareness programs to the motor carrier population; and, raising awareness to the motoring public about safe operations around trucks and buses.
“This week’s Operation Safe Driver campaign sends a strong message to all drivers to think safety,” says FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “In particular, it demonstrates just how serious we are about catching bus or truck drivers who are doing anything less and will make our roads safer and save lives by removing thousands of unsafe truck, bus and car drivers them from the road. We will not rest until all drivers are thinking safety first, every trip, every time. The Operation Safe Driver Campaign moves us closer to achieving our safety goals.”
