While substantial progress is being made in driving down commercial motor vehicle (CMV)-related deaths, enforcement across North America will come down hard on those caught driving aggressively during Operation Safe Driver, this October 17-23.
The campaign, organized by Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), targets both passenger car drivers as well as commercial ones.
“Inattention, poor awareness of traffic conditions and unsafe maneuvers by drivers are leading causes of fatal crashes between passenger cars and commercial vehicles, according to the FMCSA,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s executive director.
“Operation Safe Driver holds activities across the United States, Canada and Mexico to heighten traffic enforcement of both commercial and passenger vehicles, safety belt enforcement, roadside commercial vehicle and driver safety inspections, as well as educational and awareness programs for the motoring public about safe operations around big trucks and buses.”
With FMCSA’s launch of their Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) program this year, driver performance and behavior becomes an increasingly important part of the compliance and safety oversight program in the U.S.
FMCSA is introducing new and improved ways to assess and improve the safety performance of motor carriers and drivers through a new safety measurement system and a new suite of intervention tools. Using the new Safety Measurement System (SMS), FMCSA and the states will be able to “see” more performance problems within a motor carrier’s operation and as a result, have a series of mechanisms to hold motor carriers more responsible for the job performance of those who work for them. Therefore, motor carriers are held more accountable for their drivers’ performance errors such as speeding, reckless and other driving behaviors.
“The Operation Safe Driver campaign reminds us that it only takes a moment of distraction, inattention or carelessness to trigger a crash with devastating consequences. Every commercial truck and bus driver, and those who share the road with them, have a responsibility to always put safety first,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro.
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers.
