Truck drivers get vast majority of Operation Safe Driver Week scrutiny
Law enforcement personnel throughout North America interacted with 8,083 drivers on roadways during this year’s Operation Safe Driver Week and issued 3,968 warnings and 2,604 tickets/citations to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) and passenger vehicle drivers for unsafe driving.
Law enforcement agencies representing 36 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces and Mexico participated in this year’s initiative. Officers issued 3,409 warnings (86% of total) and 1,956 tickets/citations (75%) to commercial motor vehicle drivers, and 559 warnings and 648 tickets/citations to passenger vehicle drivers for various unsafe driving behaviors.
The trend of a greater emphasis during Operation Safe Driver Week on CMV drivers over passenger vehicle drivers shifted from the opposite beginning in 2023, as shown in the chart below.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance noted that the goal of its Operation Safe Driver Week is to improve driver behavior through traffic enforcement, direct interaction with law enforcement, and public outreach and awareness. This year’s event was held July 12-18 and focused on reckless, careless and dangerous driving.
Eighty-three warnings and 33 citations were issued to drivers for that focus area. Broken out by driver type, commercial motor vehicle drivers received 50 warnings and 22 citations, and passenger vehicle drivers received 33 warnings and 11 citations.
While reckless, careless and dangerous driving was the focus of the weeklong event, speeding was again the most frequently cited unsafe driving behavior during Operation Safe Driver Week. Officers issued 1,003 warnings and 691 citations for speeding-related violations. Commercial motor vehicle drivers accounted for 772 warnings and 342 citations, while passenger vehicle drivers accounted for 231 warnings and 349 citations.
Law enforcement also issued 676 warnings and 344 citations for failure to obey a traffic control device, with truck drivers earning 652 warnings and 319 citations, compared to passenger drivers’ 24 warnings and 25 citations.
Failure to wear a seat belt was another leading violation during the campaign. Officers issued 292 warnings and 311 citations for seat belt non-compliance. Commercial motor vehicle drivers received 267 warnings and 270 citations, while passenger vehicle drivers received 25 warnings and 41 citations.
Texting or using a handheld device while driving resulted in 135 warnings and 181 citations, with CMV drivers accounted for 106 warnings and 136 citations and passenger vehicle drivers accounted for 29 warnings and 45 citations.
Officers also issued 17 warnings and 26 citations to drivers for possession, use or impairment by drugs or alcohol. Twelve warnings and 22 citations were given to commercial motor vehicle drivers, and passenger vehicle drivers received five warnings and four citations.
State-by-state results weren’t available, but Overdrive and sister Fusable company RigDig‘s annual CSA’s Data Trail rankings show the places where traffic enforcement makes up the largest share of the violation mix, with darker-shaded states in the map below showing the most-intense focus on on-road driver behavior.
Tanker trailer brakes issue prompts Volvo, Mack recalls
Mack Trucks and Volvo Trucks North America are each recalling some of their flagship OTR and regional trucks equipped with a tanker application package.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, inaccurate axle load calculations may cause reduced braking performance while transporting smoothbore tanker trailers. Reduced braking performance can require a greater distance to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
Trucks affected by the recall include:
- 2025-’27 Volvo VNL
- 2025-’26 Volvo VNR
- 2026-’27 Mack Pioneer
- 2026-’27 Mack Anthem
There are 392 Volvos and 850 Macks covered by the recall.
The OEMs said liquid movement within a smoothbore/unbaffled tanker can cause errors in the trucks’ dynamic axle load calculation, reducing trailer braking effectiveness.
Dealers will install new software to disable the dynamic trailer braking calculations, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Nov. 27.
Volvo owners may contact Volvo Trucks’ customer service at 800-528-6586 with recall number RVXX2610. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-619.
Mack owners can contact Mack’s customer service at 800-866-1177 with recall number is SC0500. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-620.
Mack recall affects 3K Pioneer, Anthem units
A separate recall from Mack Trucks affects certain model year 2026-’27 Anthem and 2025-’27 Pioneer models in which the intake and grille bezels may detach from the vehicle.
The recall includes approximately 3,096 units in which the top intake and grille surrounds that are not adequately secured in place.
Dealers will inspect and replace the intake and grille bezels, and install cable ties as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Nov. 30. Owners can contact Mack’s customer service at 1-800-866-1177 with recall number SC0501. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-631.
