Operation Safe Driver Week Promotes Truck Safety
I’m Ed Smith, a Fresno truck accident attorney. This week marks Operation Safe Driver Week across the nation. Safety programs will be held to promote safe driving for commercial trucks not only in the United States but in neighboring Canada and Mexico. Agencies for law enforcement will also have officers out around the country looking for traffic infractions to promote safe driving and get serious traffic offenders off the roads. This year’s safe driver week runs from October 15 through the 21st.
Statistics for Crashes With Big Rigs
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that 3,852 individuals died during 2015 because of a collision with a big rig. While 16 percent of the accident victims were in the big truck, 69 percent were drivers or passengers in motor vehicles. Fifteen percent were composed of pedestrians, bicycle and motorcycle riders. This showed an increase of 22 percent in fatalities over 2009, the lowest year for recorded fatalities. Occupant deaths showed that 3 percent of the fatalities were occupants of the large truck, the low number probably due to the massive size compared to motor vehicles. That means that 97 percent of the fatalities were those riding in motor vehicles.
Citations From 2016
During Operation Safe Driver Week in 2016, 20,648 drivers of commercial trucks and other motor vehicles received citations or warnings for driving infractions. The top citations or warnings issued to drivers of commercial trucks were 56.7 percent for moving violations, 19.6 percent for speeding, 7.6 percent for disobeying a device for traffic control, 7.1 percent for those who were not using safety restraints and 2.4 percent for using a phone that was handheld.
Comparison With Motor Vehicle Citations
Motor vehicle operators showed somewhat different results in 2016 with regard to citations and warnings. Speeding was the number one reason drivers were cited at 39.4 percent. Moving violations constituted 37.1 percent of warnings or citations. Not using a safety belt accounted for 11.7 percent, and 1.9 percent were caused by a motorist’s failure to heed a traffic signal. Finally, careless driving accounted for 1.5 percent of the citations handed out in 2016 during Safe Driver Week.
What Drivers Can Do to Avoid Traffic Tickets
This yearly operation conducted by law enforcement personnel shows how a truck driver can stay safer while behind the wheel of a vehicle as well as avoid being cited for infractions of the law. The following suggestions may be helpful.
- Slow down: Twenty percent of infractions for drivers of commercial vehicles are for speeding.
- Wear a seat belt: This is an easy way to avoid more serious accident injuries, and you are legally required to wear a seat restraint. The passengers in a vehicle are required to be belted in also.
- Avoid distractions: While driving, it’s a good idea to put away the cellphone and avoid other distractions. If you need to make a call, pull off and park to do so.
- Stay alert: Driving to a destination requires that the driver stay alert to other traffic and pedestrians who are sharing the roadway. Watch for drivers changing lanes without signalling, making turns and pedestrians who can step out in front of a vehicle.
Related Articles by Fresno Truck Accident Lawyer Ed Smith ~
- Personal Injury Damages – What You’re Able to Recover
- What Does the Phrase “Comparative Fault” Mean?
Fresno Truck Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Fresno truck accident attorney. Injuries caused by a negligent driver of a big rig can be catastrophic and cause high medical bills, lost income and other expenses. If you or your loved one was injured or you lost a family member due to wrongful death, call (559) 377-7676 or dial long distance at (800) 404-5400 for my friendly, free advice.
Over my 35 year career as a Fresno and Northern California injury lawyer, I’ve helped many victims of collisions with big trucks recover fair compensation for their traumatic injuries or loss of a loved one from wrongful death. To learn more, look around my website at AutoAccident.com.
I belong to milliondollaradvocates.com, a group of trial attorneys who have garnered a million dollar verdict or settlement for clients.
Client reviews are available on Avvo, Yelp, Google.
Information on how I resolved some of my previous cases can be found on my Verdicts and settlements page.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/truck-road-shield-warning-canada-2755172/
:cd bw [cs 748] cv