North Carolina drivers should be aware that Operation Safe Driver Week is scheduled to take place the week of July 15-21. During the initiative, which is organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, law enforcement agencies will focus on preventing unsafe driving behaviors by the operators of both passenger and commercial vehicles.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, hazardous driving behaviors are a top cause of highway crashes in the U.S. In fact, unsafe driving plays a role in 93 percent of all crashes involving passenger vehicles and 88 percent of accidents involving large trucks. To help reduce accidents, injuries and fatalities, CVSA created the Operation Safe Driver Program to raise awareness and target unsafe drivers.
During Operation Safe Driver Week, various law enforcement agencies join together to spot individuals engaging in dangerous driving behaviors. These behaviors include texting, failure to wear seat belts, speeding, tailgating, running red lights and making improper lane changes. During last year’s initiative, officers handed out almost 39,000 tickets and warnings to commercial drivers. The most common reasons for those tickets and warnings were state and local moving violations, speeding, failing to wear a seat belt, failing to obey traffic control devices and cellphone use. Meanwhile, 104 commercial drivers received tickets or warnings for driving while fatigued or ill.
Truck accidents can be caused by a number of factors, including speeding, distracted driving and drowsy driving. If someone is injured in an accident caused by a negligent truck driver, he or she might be able to file a lawsuit against that driver seeking compensation for damages. During a legal consultation, a personal injury lawyer may assess a victim’s case and explain the lawsuit process in detail.