PORTLAND, Maine—Each year, more than 36,000 people die on the roadways throughout North America—nearly 4,000 of which are related to large trucks and buses. Many are the direct result of aggressive and unsafe driving by truck and bus drivers, as well as the passenger car drivers operating unsafely around them. This fatality figure equates to more deaths than a 737 airplane crashing every two weeks for a year.
A new survey released by the Centers for Disease Control earlier this year shows just how severe the problem of texting while driving really is, especially among young drivers. In the survey, 58 percent of high school seniors said they had texted or emailed while driving during the previous month. About 43 percent of high school juniors acknowledged they did the same thing.
During the week of October 14-20, 2012 law enforcement across North America will respond by actively targeting unsafe drivers during ‘Operation Safe Driver,’ a program sponsored by CVSA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with support from a number of other organizations, including FedEx Corporation.
Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s Executive Director, says, “We are calling on all drivers to make a difference, reduce unsafe and distracted driving behaviors and help us save lives across North America with this annual mobilization week. The truth is that most of these accidents are avoidable. That’s why taking aggressive enforcement action as well as educating both passenger vehicle drivers and truck and bus drivers is a priority for CVSA; this program can and will save lives,” explains Keppler.
“Whether you are a truck or bus driver, a parent driving your kids to school, or a teenager who just got your driver’s license, we want you to arrive alive. Sharing the road safely is what Operation Safe Driver is all about,” said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. FMCSA will be working with CVSA to step up enforcement and education to urge motorists to follow the safety rules of the road.
“It takes three things to effectively change unsafe behavior on our nation’s highways: strong education, strong laws, and strong enforcement,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. “CVSA’s efforts today bring into sharp focus what still needs to be done behind the wheel and on the road. Remember—no text, no call, no update is worth a human life.”
In advance of next month’s launch, several items for the Operation Safe Driver campaign were previewed at a media conference on September 24, 2012, by Deborah Hersman, Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board; Jack Van Steenburg, Chief Safety Officer & Assistant Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Colonel Robert A. Williams, Maine State Police; David Palmer, President, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance; Brian Neal, Operation Safe Driver Program Chair, FedEx Ground; and Scott Mugno, Vice President Safety & Maintenance, FedEx Ground. The event was held in conjunction with CVSA’s Annual Conference & Exhibition, the annual forum where safety experts in the law enforcement community, policy makers and other representatives of the commercial motor vehicle industry from all across North America gather to exchange information, best practices and solve our most pressing safety challenges.
Updated Educational Materials for Teens and PSAs Get Operation Safe Driver Message Out
A revised edition of the “Teens & Trucks: Curbing Distracted Driving” curriculum will be unveiled prior to the launch of Operation Safe Driver Week. This is an update to the Teens & Trucks curriculum produced several years ago, which will teach teen drivers how to adapt many of the same tactics used by professional drivers to reduce or eliminate on-road distractions. The DVD also teaches teens and other drivers about the operating characteristics of large trucks, and explains how to safely share the road with them by staying out of the truck’s “NO Zones” or blind spots. “Teens & Trucks: Curbing Distracted Driving” includes a 23-minute DVD and a CD containing a handout of key tips for reducing distractions, a “no-texting, no-distracted-driving” pledge form for teen drivers and their parents, instructor guidelines and two radio public service announcements that state agencies can tag with their own identifier.
“Defeating Distracted Driving,” the educational training program released in 2011, will also be promoted and distributed for Operation Safe Driving Week. This kit includes a DVD, two 30-second PSAs, a tri-fold handout, a PowerPoint instructional kit, talking points and model policies for motor carriers about the dangers of distracted driving for use by fleets, driving schools and other outlets. All three of these training programs were developed in collaboration with the Arizona Transportation Education Foundation and Arizona Department of Public Safety with funding support from FMCSA.
Currently, two additional events are planned for the Operation Safe Driver mobilization week. The first event is scheduled for October 15 in White Plains, New York. Another event will take place in Harrison, Arkansas on October 16.
Resources Available to Media: Members of the working press are invited to access additional information, including radio and TV PSAs, online.
About CVSA
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprising 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. The Alliance actively monitors, evaluates, and identifies solutions to potentially unsafe transportation processes and procedures related to driver and vehicle safety requirements most often associated with commercial motor vehicle crashes. In addition, CVSA has several hundred associate members who are committed to helping the Alliance achieve its goals; uniformity, compatibility and reciprocity of commercial vehicle inspections, and enforcement activities throughout North America by individuals dedicated to highway safety and security. For more on CVSA, visit www.cvsa.org.
