Operation Safe Driver Week nabs 10,000 commercial motor vehicle violations

Commercial motor vehicle drivers were issued 10,736 warnings or citations during Operation Safe Driver Week in mid-July.

Operation Safe Driver Week, July 12-18, was the first enforcement initiative of the year for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. The CVSA is a nonprofit association of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal commercial motor vehicle safety officials and industry representatives. Agencies in United States, Canada and Mexico are part of the alliance.

Enforcement officials stopped 29,921 commercial motor vehicle drivers during Operation Safe Driver Week. Commercial motor drivers received 6,077 warnings and 4,659 citations.

These are the top five traffic enforcement citations given to commercial motor vehicle drivers:

• Speeding/driving too fast for conditions – 2,339.
• Failure to use a seat belt – 1,003.
• Failure to obey a traffic control device – 61.7
• Using a hand-held phone or texting – 269.
• Improper lane change – 122.

Enforcement officials also stopped 36,500 passenger vehicle drivers during Operation Safe Driver Week. The top five reasons for citations for passenger vehicle drivers were: speeding, failure to wear a seat belt, possession or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, failure to obey a traffic control device, and improper lane change.

Speeding was the focus of this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week. It also was the top traffic enforcement violation for both commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers.

Officers issued a total of 71,343 warnings and citations throughout the week. Of those, 42,857 were traffic enforcement violations, such as speeding, distracted driving, following too closely, improper lane change, failure to wear a seatbelt.

In addition during Operation Safe Driver Week, 28,486 were other state or local driver violations, such as vehicle-related observations an officer may notice during a traffic stop, such as mirror equipment violations, expired license plate tags, or inoperative lamps.

CVSA International Roadcheck 2020

International Roadcheck is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, through Friday, Sept. 11. Click here for more information.