Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023:
While the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Alliance’s Operation Safe Driver week traffic-enforcement and safe-driving awareness and education initiative is aimed at drivers of both cars and trucks, commercial vehicle drivers received the majority of warnings and tickets/citations during the week, a bit of a departure from the often greater number of citations issued to passenger vehicle drivers. .
Law enforcement officers in Canada and the U.S. initiated 11,448 traffic stops of commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger vehicle drivers who were engaging in unsafe driving behaviors during Operation Safe Driver Week, held July 10-16.
Officers issued a total of 4,494 tickets/citations and 5,756 warnings to drivers of both commercial and passenger vehicles. Of those, 2,634 tickets/citations and 4,592 warnings were given to commercial motor vehicle drivers, while 1,860 tickets/citations and 1,164 warnings were issued to passenger vehicle drivers.
Consider 2021, when officers issued a total of 8,438 warnings and 12,264 citations, made up of 4,420 warnings and 3,158 citations to truck and/or bus drivers -- a lesser 4,018 warnings but much greater 9,106 citations went to passenger vehicle drivers.
Speeding was the No. 1 reason that truck drivers received warnings during Operation Safe Driver Week, while it was the No. 2 reason for tickets.CVSA
[Related: A sharp rise in moving violations, as inspection numbers inch back toward pre-COVID levels]
