According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 42,060 people died in vehicle crashes in 2020. This death count is 24 percent higher than 2019, making it the highest year-over-year jump the NSC has calculated since 1924. Last year also came with an additional 4.8 million serious injuries caused by motor vehicles despite miles driven, dropping 13 percent.
As a result, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's (CVSA) Operation Safe Driver Week, July 11-17, comes with an emphasis on speeding. The rising number of deaths and serious injuries is CVSA’s main reason for emphasizing the harms of speeding this year. Improved driver behavior saves lives, therefore reckless drivers will be pulled over and cited or issued a warning.
Throughout the week, law enforcement will be extra vigilant, looking for both commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in risky driving behaviors. These behaviors include:
- Speeding
- Following too closely
- Aggressive driving
- Distracted driving
- Failure to obey traffic control devices
- Improper lane changes
- Not wearing a seatbelt
- Impaired driving
As July 11 approaches, make sure your drivers are prepared for Operation Safe Driver Week. Data has shown that driving behavior improves after traffic stops or an interaction with law enforcement. The goal is to raise awareness, reduce the number of commercial vehicle crashes and highlight safe driving techniques with the hope that improved driving habits will continue throughout the year.
For more information about Operation Safe Driver Week, visit:
https://www.cvsa.org/news/2021-osd-week/
Additional resources on how to avoid citations:
https://www.cvsa.org/programs/operation-safe-driver/cmv-driver-resources/