Operation Safe Driver Week 2026 targets risky driving behaviors

Operation Safe Driver Week, organized by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), is a safe driving awareness and outreach initiative focused on drivers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The goal of this campaign is to improve the habits of both passenger vehicle and commercial vehicle drivers through educational strategies and traffic enforcement, with the support of law enforcement agencies.

Year after year, CVSA prepares to inspect vehicles traveling on U.S. highways for an entire week. This year, Operation Safe Driver Week will take place from July 12 to 18 across the three North American countries.

According to CVSA’s official statement, during this year’s inspections, law enforcement personnel will be watching for drivers who engage in risky maneuvers. Those identified as “dangerous” will be stopped and issued a citation or warning, depending on the violation.

“Data shows that traffic stops and interactions with law enforcement help reduce problematic driving behaviors,” CVSA explains.

Operation Safe Driver Week 2026

The inspectors responsible for issuing violations will include federal, state, and local authorities. During Operation Safe Driver Week, particular attention will be given to behaviors that put safety at risk, such as: speeding, distracted driving, drowsy driving, following too closely, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to wear a seatbelt, unsafe lane changes, and failure to obey traffic signals.

The objective of this campaign is to increase road safety by improving driver behavior through education, enforcement of traffic laws, and interaction with authorities.

CVSA also shared data highlighting the importance of road safety and the need for campaigns like this to protect drivers, passengers, and even pedestrians.

Key data:

• In the United States, speeding has been a contributing factor in more than a quarter of traffic fatalities since 2008.
• Speeding was the most common driver-related factor in crashes involving both commercial and passenger vehicles in the United States.
• In 2024, speeding was a contributing factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in the U.S., resulting in 11,288 deaths.
• In Canada, 21.9% of all traffic fatalities in 2022 were caused by speeding.
• Distracted driving claimed 3,208 lives in the U.S. in 2024.
• In 2021, distracted driving was estimated to contribute to 22.5% of fatal crashes and 25.5% of serious injury crashes in Canada.
• In 2024, 22,713 passenger vehicle occupants died in the U.S., with nearly 50% reportedly not wearing a seatbelt.
• Seatbelts are estimated to have saved 14,955 lives in 2017 alone.
• Every day in the U.S., approximately 32 people die in alcohol-impaired driving crashes—about one person every 44 minutes.
• In 2024, 11,904 people lost their lives due to alcohol-impaired driving.
• In 2023, Canadian police recorded 71,602 incidents of impaired driving.

Prior to Operation Safe Driver Week, CVSA will conduct its annual inspection campaign known as the International Roadcheck. This campaign is scheduled for May 12–14, 2026, with a focus on cargo securement and improper use of electronic logging devices.