This week, July 13-19, is Operation Safe Driver Week, a seven-day campaign aimed at improving drivers’ behaviors through education, traffic-enforcement strategies and driver interactions with law enforcement.
Throughout the week, law enforcement personnel in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. will identify commercial motor vehicle drivers and/or passenger vehicle drivers engaging in unsafe driving behaviors on our roadways and issue a warning(s) or citation(s). Warning and citation data will be reported to CVSA, and the results will be released in the fall.
Examples of unsafe driving behaviors include speeding, distracted driving, following too closely, drunk or drugged driving, and reckless, careless or dangerous driving, which is the focus for this year’s campaign. Any person who drives a vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is driving recklessly. Careless/dangerous driving is defined as operating a vehicle without due care and attention or reasonable consideration for other motorists or people on the road.
In addition to traffic enforcement and driver interactions with law enforcement, education and outreach initiatives are also a major part of Operation Safe Driver Week. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) offers resources – available throughout the year – for teen and new drivers and commercial motor vehicle drivers, along with public service announcement videos, which are available for download and distribution.
According to the U.S. National Safety Council, 44,762 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2023. Transport Canada statistics from 2022 show that there were 1,931 motor vehicle fatalities. And Mexico reported 15,979 road deaths for 2022. Through education and intervention, CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver Program aims to prevent crashes on our roadways caused by unsafe driving behaviors.