Safe driver enforcement starts July 10th and runs through July 16th. Law enforcement will be out in full force ticketing drivers who are not following the rules of the road. If you want to avoid a costly ticket, now is the time to brush up on your safe driving skills. In this blog post, we will discuss what you need to know about safe driver enforcement and how to stay safe on the road.
United States, Canada, & Mexico are Participating
Commercial vehicles and passenger automobiles will be fined or have their registrations revoked in the United States, Canada, and Mexico during that time. Law enforcement officials will be on the roadways warning and handing out citations to commercial vehicle and passenger automobile drivers who engage in risky driving behaviors like speeding, distracted driving, following too closely, incorrect lane change, and intoxicated or drowsy driving.
Officials will be handing out citations for the following driving violations:
- Speeding
- Distracted Driving
- Following Too Closely
- Incorrect Name Change
- Intoxicated Driving
- Drowsy Driving
- Not Wearing Seatbelts
Safe driver enforcement week will specifically target speeding due to the increased number of speed-related fatalities in 2021. Last year an estimated 36,000 people were killed in speed-related crashes in the United States. This is a 12% increase from 2019 and the highest number of speeding fatalities since 2007.
An estimated 36,000 people were killed in speed-related crashes in 2021. This is a 12% increase since 2109.
Distracted driving will also be targeted during safe driver enforcement as it is a leading cause of accidents. In 2020, there were an estimated 421,000 distracted driving crashes in the United States which resulted in over three thousand fatalities.
Over 28,000 Commercial Vehicles Stopped During Safe Driver Week 2021
Last year, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) sponsored Safe Driver Week, which focused on speeding. In 2021, officers stopped 28,148 commercial trucks and 17,910 passenger cars and issued 10,486 warnings and 16,863 citations.
The most frequent penalty for commercial vehicle drivers in the United States was not wearing a seat belt, which got 791 citations (602 warnings) in addition to 431 other infractions. The third most prevalent penalty, 485 given, was for failing to follow a traffic control device. Texting or using a handheld gadget was the fourth most frequent citation
Most Frequent Penalty for Commercial Vehicle Drivers
During last year’s safe driver enforcement program, the following violations were most frequently ticketed.
- Not Wearing a seat belt.
- Failing to follow a traffic control device.
- Texting or using a handheld gadget
Educate and Penalize: Reducing Commercial Vehicle Collisions
The CVSA’s Operation Safe Driver program was established to educate and penalize drivers in an effort to reduce the number of commercial vehicle collisions on our roadways through educational and traffic law enforcement methods.
Safe Driver Enforcement focuses specifically on the actions of commercial drivers on the roads. The program focus on two things:
- What drivers did while driving a commercial vehicle.
- What drivers didn’t do while driving a commercial vehicle.
Whether it’s a driver’s fault, such as speeding, or something they didn’t do, like not paying attention to the driving task, law enforcement officials are focused on drivers’ actions and educating dangerous offenders on our roads.
The goal of the safe driving enforcement program is to prevent crashes from happening and to save lives.
A safety culture is a living, breathing process that is constantly evolving.”. ~ Andrew Winkler, General Manager Chief Carriers
If you are caught speeding or driving distracted, you can expect to pay a hefty fine. The average speeding ticket in the United States costs $150 while the average distracted driving ticket costs $200. If you are caught speeding in a work zone, you can expect to pay even more.
As difficult as it is for any of us here at Chief Carriers to think about, the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety estimates the final damage of a fatal accident at over $750,000 and has noted that some jury awards have even topped the savagely lofty $1 billion mark.
How Can You Avoid Getting a Ticket?
So, how can you avoid getting a ticket during safe driver enforcement? The best way is to stay focused and alert while behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle. Put away your phone, slow down, and pay attention to your surroundings. Make sure you are following all the rules and regulations
As a driver, you can do your part to make the roads safer by following the rules of the road and being alert at all times.
The best way to avoid getting caught during safe driver enforcement is to follow the rules.
Chief Carriers is a trucking firm that prizes safety for its employees, drivers, and the general public. Chief Carriers have attracted national attention for their Red Hat Culture, which incentivizes drivers to be caught in the act of safe driving and at the terminal.
