Law enforcement officers will hand out warnings and fines in July during Operation Safe Driver Week for drivers who engage in dangerous behind-the-wheel behavior. That includes speeding, distracted driving, improper lane changes and other unsafe driving practices.
Operation Safe Driver Week takes place every year in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In 2022, the event takes place during the week of July 10-16. The area of emphasis for 2022 is speeding, but officers will give warnings and fines for any unsafe driving behavior by both commercial and private vehicle drivers.
What Is Operation Safe Driver Week?
The annual Operation Safe Driver Week is coordinated by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), a nonprofit association of motor vehicle safety officials from local, state, provincial, territorial and federal governments as well as industry representatives.
During Operation Safe Driver Week, law enforcement officers across North American will focus on commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers who exhibit risky driving behaviors. They will pull over unsafe drivers and issue a warning or citation.
The annual event is effective because studies have shown that when drivers receive warnings or fines for their driving behaviors, they tend to drive better, according to the CVSA.
A Focus on Speeding
Law enforcement officers will focus this year on stopping drivers who speed. CVSA cites data showing that speeding continues to play a huge role in causing crashes and collisions on the nation’s roads.
- Since 2008, speeding has been a factor in more than a quarter of crash fatalities.
- For both commercial and passenger vehicles, speeding ranks as the most frequent driver-related crash factor.
- In 2018, 26 percent of all traffic fatalities involved speeding, killing 9,378 people (more than 25 people a day)
Law enforcement officers will not limit themselves to speeding citations, however. They also will look for signs of distracted driving. In 2019 alone, distracted driving led to 3.142 deaths. They also will ensure people wear seatbelts, which remains a problem despite decades of public service campaigns on the importance of seat belts. Of the 22,215 people killed in passenger vehicle crashes in 2019, 47 percent did not wear a seatbelt.
Telematics Can Lower Risks for Fleet Drivers
Fleet managers who want to lower the risk of risky driving behavior can turn to modern telematics for support. Using advanced software systems and connected devices, telematics can help monitor drivers actions behind the wheel and reduce the risk of dangerous behaviors.
Systems that provide in-cab driver coaching can alert drivers when they engage in risky behaviors such as speeding, braking too hard, taking corners too fast, drowsy driving or becoming distracted.
Fleet managers can also get trend reports from these systems, allowing them to know where drivers need further training to help them improve behind-the-wheel performance.
Operation Safe Driver Week provides fleet managers the chance to see how well their drivers perform. It also gives them the opportunity to invest in the telematics solutions that can lead to better risk management and safer fleets.
