July 11th – 17th, 2021
Operation Safe Driver is a CVSA program which aims to reduce deaths and injuries resulting from
unsafe driver behaviors. To align with this program, the CVSA has selected July 11th-17th asOperation Safe Driver Week. Understand the implications of Operation Safe Driver Week is a
great way to avoid the potential ramifications if your drivers are not properly informed or prepared.
What is Operation Safe Driver Week?
• Operation Safe Driver Week is an annual enforcement and educational push, which began in 2007
• In partnering with the FMCSA, state, provincial, and local law enforcement, Operation Safe Driver holds
activities across the USA, Canada, and Mexico to increase commercial and non-commercial vehicle
traffic enforcement, safety belt enforcement, and driver roadside inspections
• In addition, they also aim to improve driver regulatory compliance, implement commercial driver
education, educate youth about sharing roads with large commercial vehicles, increase awareness to
the general motoring public about safe operations around commercial motor vehicles
What Does Safe Driver Week Mean for the Transportation Industry?
• During Operation Safe Driver Week 2021, the CVSA will focus primarily on speeding, with a secondary
concentration on unsafe driving practices
• Law enforcement agencies across North America engage in heightened traffic safety enforcement
(including citations and/or warnings) aimed at combating unsafe driving behaviors both by commercial
motor vehicle and passenger-vehicle drivers
• Law enforcement and transportation safety officials will also offer educational and awareness safety
programs to the motor carrier population and the motoring public
Speeding Facts and Figures
In preparation for Operation Safe Driver Week, it is important to understand the facts and figures behind historical
speeding violations that lead to the CVSA choosing speeding as it’s point of emphasis in 2021.
• Speeding continues to be the number one cited driver-related factor in highway fatal crashes
• Speeding was a factor in 26% of all traffic fatalities in 2018, killing 9,378 people
• This led to an average of more than 25 deaths per day due to speed-related violations
• Despite an overall decrease in roadway travel in 2020 due to COVID-19, traffic fatalities increased
• The National Safety Council’s preliminary 2020 estimates show a 24% increase in rate of death on
roads, despite a 13% drop in miles driven when compared to 2019
• This is the largest increase calculated in 96 years
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What Can the Transportation Industry Expect?
To prepare your drivers for 2021 Operation Safe Driver Week, it is important to understand the results of
previous Operation Safe Driver Week initiatives. The figures below from 2020 will paint a better picture of what
can be expected in this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week:
• Enforcement officials interacted with 29,921 total commercial motor vehicle drivers
• 4,659 citations and 6,077 warnings were issued to commercial motor vehicle drivers
• 2,339 citations and 3,423 warnings were issued due to speed-related violations
• Speed-related citations accounted for 56.33% of warnings and 50.20% of citations issued in 2020
• Other notable traffic enforcement violations that round out the top 5 commercial motor vehicle citations
that were issued in 2020 include the following:
o 1,003 citations for failure to use a seatbelt
o 617 citations for failure to obey traffic control devices
o 269 citations for using a hand-held phone or texting
o 122 citations for improper lane change
For further information on how Operation Safe Driver Week may impact your area of operation, please visit the
CVSA website below to find a list of the local, provincial, and state contacts that are overseeing the
implementation of Operation Safe Driver Week initiatives:
• https://www.cvsa.org/cvsa-contacts/law-enforcement-lead-agency-contacts/
