5 Quick Tips to Survive CVSA’s Safe Driving Enforcement Week
CVSA Safe Driving Enforcement Week is upon us. You don’t want any driver in your fleet to get hit with a ticket or violation. It can be deterimental for the record and hit the pocketbook hard. Likewise, it’s good to make sure that other motorists are aware of these tips as we’re all sharing the road together. Here are some quick reminders for CDL holders and regular motorists alike to help everyone stay safe…
No Phones W
hile Driving
With some fleets, it’s permissible to use hands-free devices for calls while driving. Yet others have completely banned it. The bottom line is that using a phone while driving, more specifically texting/social media has been dubbed, “the DUI of today.” Studies have shown that this type of distracted driving can be just as dangerous as driving drunk. Just put it down. It can wait!
Leave Room & Move Over
They may be recent, but many states have “move over” laws that require drivers to pull away from the closest lane to a stationary police vehicle with flashing lights. It’s usually tied to the stipulation “if it’s safe to do so,” but if it isn’t safe to switch lanes, these laws may require the driver passing by to slow down considerably.
Stop with the Tailgating
We’ve all been there before. Getting cut off, aggravated and tempted to tailgate the car in front of us to vent frustration. Give other drivers, especially truckers around you plenty of room to come to a complete stop. We know, we know, this is difficult after coming out of a big backup and you just want to get back to normal speed. It’s just not worth it to tailgate and everyone appreciates a little extra room.
Don’t Forget the Signal
If you’re planning to change lanes, or turn, don’t forget the signal! It should go without saying, but we’ve all been cut off by a driver who just couldn’t give the common courtesy of using a turn signal. Yes, you need to always use your signals – but pay very close attention to your turn signal habits during this week. Authorities are sure to crack down.
Get Organized
NOW is the time to get your paperwork organized. License, registration, logbook, all that stuff. Having your “ducks in a row” so to speak makes things go smoothly in the event that you get pulled over. It also gives officers less of a reason to believe that extra time is needed for the stop. It’s also a good idea to check things such as brakes, lights and tires. These comes up time and time again resulting in violations that could have been easily prevented.
What is Operation Safe Driver Week?
Operation Safe Driver Week is sponsored by CVSA, in partnership with FMCSA and with support from industry and transportation safety organizations, and aims to help improve the behavior of all drivers operating in an unsafe manner – either in or around a CMV – through educational and traffic enforcement strategies to address individuals exhibiting high-risk driving behaviors.
Safety is #1 at Dickinson Fleet Services
Safety has long been at the top of the list for our company. Not only for the clients we serve, but also our technicians. Most recently, the buzz in safety seems to be around distracted driving and cell phone usage. Earlier this year, we published an article entitled Distracted Driving – When Enough is Enough that drivers further into the impact of mobile phones in the transportation industry.
More on Dickinson Fleet Services
Dickinson Fleet is the nation’s leader in mobile truck maintenance and repair. We currently have 300 mobile trucks equipped with state of the art technology visiting our customers nightly across 40 states in nearly every major city in the country.
Have Questions or Need Help?
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