2/27/2015
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) released the results from its Operation Safe Driver Week and found that non-commercial motor vehicle drivers speed significantly more so than commercial motor vehicle drivers. Non-CMV drivers were issued a warning or citation for speeding 52.3 % of the time, versus 5.8 % of CMV drivers. The percentage of warnings and citations issued to CMV drivers for speeding decreased from 7.3% in 2013 to 5.8% in 2014. It was 10.8% in 2012. The percentage of warnings and citations issued to non-CMV drivers for speeding decreased 56.0% in 2013 to 52.3% in 2014.
The top five warnings and citations issued to CMV drivers were: 1) speeding; 2) failure to use a seat belt; 3) failure to obey traffic control device; 4) improper lane change; and following too close.
The top five warnings and citations issued to non-CMV drivers were: 1) speeding; 2) failure to use a safety belt; 3) failure to obey a traffic control device; 4) possession/use/under the influence of alcohol; and 5) improper lane change.
The number of warnings and citations per contact with CMV drivers was 0.45 whereas the number of warnings and citations per contact with non-CMV drivers was 1.27, or nearly three times the amount.
The percentage of warnings and citations issued to CMV drivers for failing to obey traffic control devices increased from 1.8% in 2013 to 2.5% in 2014. The percentages of warnings and citations issued to CMV drivers for failure to wear a seatbelt decreased from 2.9% in 2013 to 2.8% in 2014. It was 3.8% in 2012. For non-CNV drivers the percentage increased from 2.6% in 2013 to 34.1% in 2014.
Is it now time to roll out CSA for non-CMV drivers? Wouldn’t it be interesting to have non-truck drivers ranked in percentages to other non-CMV drivers? What if we made every non-CMV violation public and posted it on a website? Studies like this make it clear that the trucking industry is taking steps to improve its safety record and reduce violations.