Get ready truck drivers and motorists. It’s time once again for Operation Safe Driver Week.
Sponsored by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Operation Safe Driver Week is set for Oct. 18-24 in North America and is aimed at unsafe driving by commercial vehicle drivers and car drivers. The week’s activities will include heightened traffic safety enforcement by law enforcement agencies, roadside inspections, regulatory compliance and educational outreach events.
Here at Paramount Freight Systems, an all Owner Operators and Lease Purchasers transportation company, we take safety seriously. We encourage all of the Owner Operators and Lease Purchasers that we contract with to put safety first. The life you save could be your very own.
Indeed, approximately 30,000 people die each year on the roadways throughout North America, many of which are the direct result of aggressive and unsafe driving practices by all drivers. From 2011-2013 in the United States, there were 12,502 people who were killed and more than 287,000 injured in crashes involving at least one large truck or bus, according to the CVSA. This safety campaign was created in 2007 to help to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and deaths resulting from accidents involving large trucks, buses and cars.
During this annual campaign, learn from those ticketed last year. The top five driving violations by commercial vehicles were as follows:
- Speeding
- Failure to use a safety belt
- Failure to obey traffic control devices
- Improper lane change
- Following too closely.
During the 2014 week-long campaign, there were more than 59,000 commercial vehicle drivers and car drivers pulled over for unsafe driving. Roadside inspections totaled 24,284 that year. There also were outreach events throughout the week at high schools, truck rodeos, state capitals, sporting events, state fairs and other locations.
These are some of the safety tips recommended by Operation Safe Driver for commercial vehicle drivers:
- Avoid Distractions – such as eating, texting, adjusting the radio, grooming or other activities that take your attention from the road.
- Be Aware of Other Drivers – Remember that many of the drivers you’re sharing the road with might be distracted.
- Avoid Aggressive Driving – Don’t provoke or allow yourself to be provoked.
- Only Make Safe and Necessary Lane Changes – Pick a lane and stay in it for as long as possible. Lane changes increase accident risks.
- Get Enough Sleep – Sleep deprivation and fatigue causes lapses in attention and impairs judgment.
We encourage everyone to put safety first this week and every week. Paramount Freight Systems is a three-time winner and five-time nominee of the Best Fleet to Drive for Award. We care about our drivers and we know you work hard. If you are an Owner Operators and Lease Purchasers looking to join an all Owner Operators and Lease Purchasers fleet, then Paramount Freight Systems is where you want to call home. Contact us today.
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Slow down, buckle up and don't follow too closely! It's #SafeDriverWeek. https://t.co/Wf3zVYS2W9
— Paramount Freight (@DrivePFS) October 21, 2015
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Categorized in: Safety, Truck Drivers, Uncategorized