We recently discussed the launch of this year's Operation Safe Driver. Though the exact results of the campaign are still unknown, several lessons can be learned from the aims of the campaign itself.
Operation Safe Driver specifically targets unsafe commercial vehicle operators and unsafe motorists driving near large trucks. It is hoped that addressing safety issues related to these two groups will reduce the prevalence of devastating truck accidents across the country.
In order to focus on these issues, law enforcement agencies across North America engaged in both high visibility enforcement efforts and public educational outreach campaigns. In terms of trucking safety, accident prevention is ideal. However, targeting aggressive driving practices of truckers and motorists near them also serves to enforce this safety-minded message.
Motorists may not understand that driving aggressively near large trucks is incredibly dangerous. Therefore, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance and the California Highway Patrol have been advertising the following information that motorists should keep in mind:
- Stay out of the blind spots of commercial vehicle drivers. If you cannot see a truck's mirrors, the trucker cannot see you.
- Do not tailgate semi-trucks or cut into their space. Trucks take longer to brake than cars do.
- Wear your safety belt and do not speed. These common-sense rules are even more critical when driving near large trucks.
We do not yet know how many motorists and truckers were taken to task during Operation Safe Driver. However, the lessons promoted by the campaign are both clear and available right now.
Source: Lake County News, "Operation Safe Driver targets unsafe, aggressive drivers," Oct. 16, 2012
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