GREENBELT, Md. Operation Safe Driver, another of the nationwide safety sweeps organized annually by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, will be Oct. 14-20.

While the focus of Operation Safe Driver is to reduce unsafe and distracted driving behaviors, destination and roadside vehicle and driver checks also are a key component.

Last year, 3,805 law enforcement personnel at 1,848 locations across the United States and Canada conducted 34,725 commercial motor vehicle inspections.

That makes Operation Safe Driver about half of the size of the CVSAs Roadcheck, which is conducted each year in June.

For Roadcheck 2012, an estimated 9,500 CVSA- and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration-certified inspectors conducted more than 73,000 vehicle inspections at roughly 2,500 locations across North America.

The National Passenger Carrier Strike Force, which is now organized annually by the FMCSA and specifically targets bus operators for "surprise" inspections, checks hundreds of more motorcoaches during its two-week blitz than Roadcheck and Operation Safe Driver combined.

This year, the FMCSA strike force was conducted in mid-August; last year it was in early October and 3,000 buses were inspected.

The FMCSA partners with CVSA for Operation Safe Driver.

"We are calling on all drivers to make a difference, reduce unsafe and distracted driving behaviors and help us save lives across North America with this annual mobilization week," said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA executive director.

"The truth is that most (commercial vehicle) accidents are avoidable. Thats why taking aggressive enforcement action, as well as educating both passenger vehicle drivers and truck and bus drivers, is a priority for CVSA; this program can and will save lives," said Keppler.