The results are in from this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week which occurred on July 12-18. Speeding was the focus of this year’s effort, but enforcement officials looked at a variety of other safety related behaviors including seat belt use, failure to obey traffic control devices, using a hand-held phone/texting and improper lane change.
Law enforcement personnel observed 66,421 drivers engaging in unsafe driver behaviors on roadways and issued 71,343 warnings and citations during the week-long event. Of the total warning and citations, drivers of commercial vehicles were issued 6,077 warnings and 4,649 citations for violations, with speeding being the top traffic enforcement violation. Passenger vehicle drivers received 17,329 citations and 14,792 warnings for traffic enforcement violations, totaling 32,121 warnings and citations.
Truck drivers were cited 2,339 for speeding and another 3,423 received warnings about speeding, and passenger vehicle drivers received 14,378 citations and 11,456 warnings for speed-related offenses.
The four topmost common violations for truck drivers were:
- Failure to use a seat belt: 2,339 citations
- Failure to obey traffic control devices: 617 citations
- Using a hand-held phone/texting: 269 citations
- Improper lane change: 122 violations
While everyone who is on the road has a responsibility to drive in a safe manner, the reality is that no matter who is at fault when a passenger car and a truck collide, the passenger car usually bears the brunt of the damage.
Let me be clear: Passenger car drivers have a responsibility to obey traffic regulations. However, I think it is incumbent on truck drivers to be even more vigilant with their safe driving practices especially in light of some of the “nuclear verdicts” we are seeing in truck involved accidents — regardless of who is at fault.
In addition, I know that the great majority of truck drivers on the road are safer, better drivers than most, as evidenced by the many examples of drivers with over a million miles with no accidents. However, all eyes are on truck drivers, especially when there is an accident.
Operation Safe Driver Week is probably indicative of what happens during a typical week of driving, although given that drivers knew about the safety blitz, perhaps they were a little more careful than usual.
Regardless of whether drivers were on their best behavior or just behaving “as usual,” the fact remains that all drivers are ignoring some of the basic tenets of safe driving. My wish is for truck drivers to be the ones to set the good example and to keep safety in mind each and every time they get behind the wheel by slowing down, buckling up and putting down their cell phones.
