46,752 Citations Issued During Enforcement Blitz
Law enforcement officials issued 46,752 citations and 87,624 warnings to drivers during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s (CVSA) annual Operation Safe Driver Week.From July 14 to July 20, law enforcement officers throughout the United States and Canada were on the lookout for passenger and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers engaging in unsafe behaviors. The CVSA emphasizes the importance of driver behavior, citing a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistic that driver actions contribute to 94% of all traffic crashes.
Each Operation Driver Week has a special area of focus for enforcement, and this year’s emphasis was on speeding. Speeding/violations of the basic speed law/driving too fast for conditions was the most cited violation this year with 17,556 total citations. CMV drivers received 1,454 citations and 2,126 warnings for speeding, compared to 16,102 citations and 21,001 warnings issued to passenger vehicle drivers for the offense. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Loss Data Institute, speeding has been a factor in more than a quarter of crash deaths since 2008.
The top 10 driver-behavior citations and warnings issued to CMV drivers during the 2019 Operation Safe Driver Week are as follows:
Speeding; failure to wear a seat belt; failure to obey a traffic control device; inattentive, careless and/or reckless driving; and possession/use/under influence of alcohol and/or drugs were the top violations for passenger vehicle drivers.
Through traffic safety initiatives, such as Operation Safe Driver Week, law enforcement personnel aim to deter negative driver behaviors and reduce the number of crashes involving large trucks, motorcoaches and passenger vehicles by identifying and citing drivers exhibiting risky driving behaviors and tendencies.
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