“Data shows that traffic stops and interactions with law enforcement help reduce problematic driving behaviors,” said Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) President Sgt. John Samis with the Delaware State Police. “By making contact with drivers during Operation Safe Driver Week, law enforcement personnel aim to make our roadways safer by targeting high-risk driving behaviors.”
The CVSA has chosen speeding as the focus of this year’s enforcement event, as many jurisdictions across the country saw a spike in both speeding tickets and single-vehicle accidents during 2020. In fact, the estimated death rate increased by 24 percent although the total number of miles driven dropped by 13 percent. “Less traffic may be encouraging some drivers to ignore traffic safety laws, including speed limits. Despite there being far fewer vehicles on the road due to COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, many jurisdictions are seeing a severe spike in speeding,” the CVSA noted.
In addition to speeding, enforcement officials will be on the lookout for other unsafe driving behaviors, such as not wearing a seatbelt, following too closely, improper lane changes or evidence of drunk, distracted or wreckless driving.
During last year’s event, the CVSA reported that 4,659 citations and 6,077 warnings were given to commercial vehicle drivers for traffic violations. The top violations were related to speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt and the use and/or possession of drugs and alcohol.