Operation Safe Driver Week 2024: Reducing Reckless Driving Nationwide

Did you know that commercial drivers received 1,575 warnings and 715 tickets between July 10 and 16, 2023?

Operation Safe Driver Week, which occurs from July 7 to 13, 2024, is an initiative focused on promoting safe driving habits among commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers. The aim is to enhance driving behaviors through educational outreach and traffic enforcement measures involving interactions with law enforcement.

What is Operation Safe Driver Week?

Throughout Operation Safe Driver Week, law enforcement officials will actively monitor drivers of commercial motor vehicles and passenger vehicles engaging in unsafe driving practices. Any drivers found to be driving recklessly will be stopped and either issued a warning or a citation.

The main area of focus for this year's Operation Safe Driver Week is reckless, careless, or dangerous driving.

Reckless driving refers to operating a vehicle with deliberate disregard for the safety of individuals or property. In contrast, careless/dangerous driving refers to operating a vehicle without due care and attention or without considering the well-being of other motorists or road users.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration emphasizes the importance of effective, high-visibility communication and outreach in successful transportation safety programs. However, these outreach efforts are most effective with strong enforcement measures. Operation Safe Driver Week seeks to bolster roadway safety by proactively promoting driver safety through education and outreach while also addressing unsafe driving behaviors through responsive traffic enforcement when such behaviors are identified.

Operation Safe Driver Week is part of CVSA's Operation Safe Driver Program, which provides educational resources for teen and new drivers and commercial motor vehicle drivers.

Semi-Truck Safety: Where Are the Blind Spots?

Part of driving on the roadways is driving around semi trucks, and educating the public on safe driving best practices around larger trucks is one way you can make a significant impact on ensuring your drivers make it home every day.

Did you know that research has shown that car drivers cause 80% of car-truck accidents? 

According to research of more than 1,000 adult drivers by FinditParts:

• Fewer than 1 in every 20 Americans can correctly pinpoint all of a semi's blind spots. 
• 1 in 3 Americans don't know how to pass trucks on the highway safely.
• Around 65% of drivers who feel unsafe around semis blame the truck or truck driver.
• 30% of Americans feel driver's ed courses failed to prepare them for sharing the road with semis.

Across all demographics, 80% of Americans were unaware that driving in front of semi-trucks puts you in a blind spot. Drivers and fleet managers know that driving in a semi-truck's blind spot can lead to serious collisions, but the general public does not.

What States Have the Most Reckless Drivers?

We recently dug into which cities and states had the worst drivers. But a recent study by The Barnes Firm analyzed all 50 states to determine which had the most reckless drivers.

The number of fatal crashes caused by distracted driving, speeding, and alcohol involvement was considered to rank the states. DUI arrests per 100K people, road rage prevalence, and the rate of uninsured drivers were also examined. These factors were normalized and weighted to reflect their impact on driving safety, resulting in a final composite score to rank each state.

What 10 states topped the reckless driving list?

1. California ranks 1st for having the most reckless drivers, with a composite score of 9.1. The state leads in fatal crashes involving speeding, totaling 1,285, and alcohol-related incidents, with 2,385 fatalities. Additionally, DUI arrests are relatively high at 311 per 100K people, contributing to California's hazardous driving conditions. California also leads in the number of licensed drivers, totaling more than 27,112,000.
2. Texas is 2nd with a composite score of 9.1. This high score is mainly due to the state's alarming number of alcohol-related fatal crashes, totaling 3,143—the highest in the nation. Additionally, Texas faces significant issues with road rage, impacting overall driving safety. The state also leads in fatal crashes caused by distracted drivers, with 447 incidents in 2022. 
3. Arizona ranks 3rd for having the most reckless drivers, with a composite score of 8.0. The state experiences a high number of speeding-related fatal crashes at 376 and alcohol-involved crashes at 737. Arizona also has the highest percentage of drivers having road rage, further increasing the risk on its roads.
4. Florida comes 4th with a composite score of 7.1. The state has a significant number of fatal crashes caused by distracted drivers, totaling 250, and a high rate of uninsured drivers at 20.4%. These factors, combined with a notable level of road rage incidents, make Florida one of the states with the most dangerous drivers.
5. Colorado ranks 5th for having the most reckless drivers, with a composite score of 6.8. The state experiences a high number of DUI arrests at 422 per 100K people and a significant number of speeding-related fatal crashes at 260. Colorado also has a notable issue with alcohol-involved crashes, totaling 432.
6. Missouri ranks 6th for having the most reckless drivers, with a composite score of 6.8. The state has a high number of speeding-related fatal crashes at 329 and alcohol-involved crashes at 494. Missouri also faces issues with a significant percentage of uninsured drivers at 16.4%.
7. Ohio is the 7th state with the most reckless drivers, with a composite score of 6.4. The state faces substantial issues with fatal crashes involving alcohol, which number 874, and a high prevalence of road rage. Ohio's rate of uninsured drivers is 13%, contributing to its high composite score. Although Ohio's alcohol-involved crashes are significantly lower than those in Texas and California, they are twice the national average.
8. New York ranks 8th with a composite score of 6.3. The state has a significant number of fatal crashes involving speeding, totaling 373, and alcohol-related incidents, with 605 fatalities. New York also experiences a high prevalence of road rage, impacting overall road safety. The rate of uninsured drivers is the second lowest in the nation at 4.10%, coming only after Massachusetts.
9. New Mexico ranks 9th for having the most reckless drivers, with a composite score of 6.2. The state experiences a high number of distracted driving crashes at 173 and a significant rate of uninsured drivers at 21.8%, the highest among the top 10 states. New Mexico also faces challenges with alcohol-related crashes, totaling 255.
10. Alabama is 10th for having the most reckless drivers, with a composite score of 6.1. The state has a high number of speeding-related fatal crashes at 219 and alcohol-involved crashes at 443. Alabama also faces issues with a significant percentage of uninsured drivers at 19.5%.