Operation Safe Driver Week 2025 rolls out July 13-19, and this year, the CVSA (Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance) is putting the brakes on reckless, careless, or dangerous driving.

Law enforcement in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico will be hitting the roads to spot unsafe behavior from both commercial motor vehicle drivers and passenger drivers. That means anyone driving like the rules don’t apply to them can expect a warning or citation, and a solid reminder that safety isn’t optional.

What is Operation Safe Driver Week Anyway?

If this is your first time hearing about it, Operation Safe Driver Week is a driver safety awareness and enforcement initiative that happens every year across North America. It’s all about identifying risky drivers, correcting unsafe habits, and reducing crash rates through real-time interactions with law enforcement.

Each year’s campaign focuses on a different area of unsafe driving. While past years have put a spotlight on speeding, seat belt usage, and distracted driving, this year zeroes in on behaviors that put others directly in harm’s way.

Operation Safe Driver Week 2025: What to Expect

During the week, law enforcement will be looking for behaviors like:

• Reckless speeding

• Aggressive lane changes

• Distracted driving

• Tailgating

• Ignoring traffic signs or signals

• Driving while impaired

• Not wearing a seat belt

Officers will issue warnings and/or citations on the spot. These interactions aren’t just about punishment, they’re about prevention. CVSA’s program is built on education just as much as enforcement, with the ultimate goal of safer roads for all.

So What Exactly Counts as Reckless or Careless Driving?

We thought you'd never ask. Here’s the breakdown straight from the CVSA:

• Reckless driving is when someone drives in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of others or property.

• Careless or dangerous driving happens when someone operates a vehicle without reasonable consideration or attention — like not noticing that red light or tailgating in the rain.

These behaviors can be subtle or blatant, but either way, they’re risky. And the numbers back it up:

• In the U.S., there were 42,795 fatal crashes in 2022.

• Canada recorded 1,768 motor vehicle fatalities in 2021.

• Mexico saw 15,979 road deaths in 2022.

All told, it’s a pretty clear sign that dangerous driving behaviors still need our full attention—and full enforcement.

A Look Back at Past Operation Safe Driver Week Results

While the core mission of Operation Safe Driver Week has stayed the same (target unsafe driving behaviors to help save lives) the numbers over the years reveal some important shifts. From spikes in enforcement activity to noticeable drops in the past few years, the data gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how driver behaviors and enforcement strategies are evolving.

At its peak in 2018, enforcement was at an all-time high with over 113,000 drivers contacted and more than 145,000 warnings and citations issued. But fast-forward to 2023 and 2024, and those numbers have dropped significantly, hovering just above 11,000 total stops each year. That's a big change.

So, what gives? It could reflect tighter enforcement resources, better compliance from drivers, or even a strategic pivot toward quality over quantity when it comes to enforcement. Still, some problems aren’t going away: speeding continues to lead the pack every year, even when it’s not the campaign’s primary focus. And violations like distracted driving and failure to wear seat belts continue to show up on the radar year after year.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the key trends we’re seeing across the past several Operation Safe Driver Weeks:

• 2024 Operation Safe Driver Week Results: 

  • Law enforcement pulled over more than 11,000 vehicles during the week.

  • A total of 2,712 citations and 3,228 warnings were issued.

  • The primary focus was reckless, careless, or dangerous driving, but speeding remained one of the top offenses, with 1,226 citations and 1,694 warnings issued.

• 2023 Operation Safe Driver Week Results

  • There were 11,448 traffic stops conducted throughout the week.

  • Officers issued 4,494 tickets/citations and 5,756 warnings.

  • Speeding was again the most cited behavior, with 2,024 citations and 2,219 warnings. Other common violations included failure to wear seat belts and use of handheld devices while driving.

• 2022 Operation Safe Driver Week Results

  • Officers in Canada and the U.S. pulled over more than 35,000 commercial and passenger vehicles.

  • A total of 26,164 warnings and citations were issued for behaviors like speeding and distracted driving.

• 2021 Operation Safe Driver Week Results

  • Law enforcement in North America stopped 46,058 drivers.

  • Dangerous behaviors included speeding, lane violations, and mobile device use.

• 2020 Operation Safe Driver Week Results

  • Despite the pandemic, officers made contact with 66,421 drivers, issuing 71,343 warnings and citations. Of those stopped, 29,921 were commercial drivers, and 36,500 were passenger drivers.

• 2019 Operation Safe Driver Week Results

  • Officers handed out 46,752 citations and 87,624 warnings for violations from speeding to seat belt misuse.

• 2018 Operation Safe Driver Week Results

  • A whopping 113,331 drivers were contacted, with 57,405 citations and 87,907 warnings issued.

• 2017 Operation Safe Driver Week Results

  • More than 59,000 drivers received citations or warnings for unsafe behavior during the enforcement blitz.

• 2016 Operation Safe Driver Week Results

  • Law enforcement issued 20,648 citations and warnings to commercial and passenger vehicle drivers.