GREENBELT, Md. – Officials issued warnings or citations to 20,648 commercial motor vehicle drivers and private passenger vehicle drivers for unsafe driving behaviors during the 2016 Operation Safe Driver Week.
A little more than half of those citations and warnings– 11,182 — were issued to CMV drivers.
Examples of unsafe driving behaviors during the annual Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance event included speeding, failure to use a seatbelt, distracted driving, failure to obey traffic control devices, traveling too closely and improper lane changes.
The safety event was held Oct. 16 to 22 and included nearly 3,000 law enforcement officials at locations across the United States and Canada.
The top five warnings and citations issued to CMV drivers (as a percentage of total CMV warnings and citations) were:
- State and local moving violations – 56.7 percent
- Speeding – 19.6 percent
- Failure to obey traffic control devices – 7.6 percent
- Failing to use seatbelt while operating CMV – 7.1 percent
- Using a handheld phone – 2.4 percent
“This year, the Operation Safe Driver Week campaign specifically targeted the unsafe driving behaviors that are more often the cause of crashes,” said CVSA President Julius Debuschewitz of Yukon Highways and Public Works.
“Through a variety of high-visibility and covert driver traffic enforcement initiatives, in addition to driver education and outreach activities, law enforcement agencies capitalized on the opportunity the weeklong campaign provided to continue their work toward making sure the drivers on our nation’s roadways are sharing and navigating those roadways safely.”
The following is a closer look at this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week traffic enforcement results:
- 20,648 total citations or warnings were issued throughout the United States and Canada.
- Of that total, 19,657 were issued in the United States and 991 were issued in Canada.
- 9,466 citations or warnings were issued to private passenger vehicle drivers.
- 11,182 citations or warnings were issued to CMV drivers.
