12 Jun CVSA Safety Blitz July 7th-13th
The CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) has announced the annual Operation Safe Driver Week will take place this year July 7th through July 13th. Throughout the week US, Mexico and Canada law enforcement officials will not only focus on enforcing safe driving behavior, but also educating to be proactive in preventing unsafe driving in the future.
Unsafe driving includes but is not limited to speeding, distracted driving, improper distance, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. While the data is still incomplete for 2023, the early estimate of traffic crashes involving a large truck resulting in a fatality is down 8% from 2022. The definition of large truck is any medium or heavy truck, excluding buses and motor homes, with a GVWR greater than 10,000 pounds.
According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) speeding was the cause of 12,151 deaths in 2022. While most individuals consider speeding to be driving over the posted speed limit, it also includes driving faster than the current road conditions warrant. Fog, ice, snow/sleet, heavy rain and darkness all require reduced speed to drive safely.
In 2022 it was reported that 3,308 lives were lost due to distracted driving. Distracted driving is defined as any activity that prevents full attention while driving. The most common actions that cause distracted driving are texting, eating, adjusting radio, and talking on the phone. Sending or reading a text may take your eyes off the road for 5 seconds, if travelling at 55 mph that would be the equivalent of driving the entire length of a football field with your eyes closed.
Drunk driving crashes resulted in 13,524 deaths in 2022, that is an average of 37 individuals per day. Breaking the data down even further one person every 39 minutes is killed because of drunk driving. For a non-commercial driver a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher is illegal in all states except Utah where .05 is the limit. Under FMCSA regulations a blood alcohol concentration of .04 or higher is illegal for commercial drivers, the regulation also states that commercial drivers may not operate a vehicle within four hours of consuming alcohol. Studies show that a blood alcohol concentration of .02 will cause decline in visual functions and the ability to perform two tasks at the same time. Coordination, ability to track moving objects, and reflexes drastically decreases when the level is .05 or greater.
The information shared in this article includes data for both commercial and non-commercial vehicles as the actions of both have an impact on everyone. While the focus of the safety blitz is preventing unsafe driving it is equally important to be prepared when faced with an unsafe driver. Permit America encourages drivers to read the following resources provided by the CVSA to avoid becoming an unsafe driver and how to remain safe when encountering an unsafe driver.
Defensive Driving Techniques For Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers
Safety Tips Every Professional Driver Must Know
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