Operation Safe Driver Week is July 11-17, 2021!
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) dedicates this annual initiative to raising awareness around safe driving behaviors and vehicle health, collecting data from traffic and vehicle violations and warnings to produce safety programs and insights.
This year’s focus is on speeding, although enforcement personnel will be on the lookout for all forms of dangerous driving behavior, such as frequent lane changes and inattentive driving, and vehicle red flags, including poor brake quality and tire pressure.
Commercial drivers are significantly safer than passenger vehicle drivers, who earned about three times as many traffic warnings and citations last year. However, if you’re a commercial driver, you must remain mindful of your safety approach during the week and all year long so that you can keep your name and vehicle far away from warning and citations lists. Here are three tips to help you do just that!
Tip #1: Monitor your vehicle health regularly
Drivers are often asked to carry out many administrative tasks, from logging hours to submitting the day’s paperwork — not to mention all the miles you have to drive in a day. Vehicle health might take a backseat if you’re in a hurry to get on with your day and optimize your time on the road. Yet, you must regularly examine your vehicle for optimal compliance and protection.
When you take time to check your brakes, tires, engine, and all the other essential components in your vehicle, you can prevent expensive breakdowns and violations before they occur and hit the road with greater peace of mind.
Bonus tip for safety managers: You can generate comprehensive, real-time vehicle diagnostic reports with an efficient fault monitoring solution.
Tip #2: Know how you’re really performing
From taking your eyes off the road for a second to change the radio to following too closely and not realizing it, even the most experienced drivers can improve safety behaviors. If you have a well-established safety culture, work with your safety manager or a trusted leader to track your performance and learn how to improve your behaviors over time. If not, regularly reflect on your daily performance and be honest with yourself about areas where you can improve.
Ask yourself the following:
- Are there any stand-out behaviors I know I should fix?
- Did I inspect my vehicle before beginning my trip?
- Did I take my eyes off the road for even a moment?
Bonus tip for safety managers: Protect drivers with a video-based safety program that gives you optimal, real-time insight into driver safety.
Tip #3: Use your instinct — and your gut
Enforcement officers are on the lookout for unsafe behaviors and maintenance indicators, so the easiest way to make Operation Safe Driver Week a breeze is to always ensure you’re as safe as possible. As I stated, a substantial majority of commercial drivers prioritize safety on the road. Remember that you’ve been trained and trusted to operate your vehicle, so take pride in that trust and place some in yourself.
Bonus tip for safety managers: Help dispatchers easily communicate with drivers so that your teams are always on the same page and drivers never feel rushed.
I wish all drivers a successful Operation Safe Driver Week! Read more on the weeklong initiative in this blog article from last month. Safe travels!