The CVSA is running Operation Safe Driver Week from Sunday, October 15 through Saturday, October 21. During the week, Law Enforcement Agencies throughout North America will engage in heightened traffic safety enforcement and education aimed at combating unsafe driving behaviours. Enforcement officers will be looking for unsafe and distracted driving behaviours of both commercial and non-commercial vehicles with the goal to reduce motor vehicle fatalities.

It’s a Goal that we can all get Behind!

At Len Dubois Trucking, we expect our drivers to have and showcase good driving habits 365 days a year. Safety is not just for blitz time; it’s a daily commitment to keeping the roadways as safe as possible.

Among other violations, Enforcement Officers will be on the lookout for the most common crash related violations:

  • speeding
  • distracted driving
  • drivers who are texting
  • failure to use a seatbelt
  • following too closely
  • improper lane changes

Be a Safe Driver Year Round with these Basic Safety Tips

Get the lead out of your foot – The theory for putting the pedal to the metal can be summed up like this: if you go faster you’ll do more miles and make more money. The reality though, you’re not really making it much further down the road. Check for yourself, we did the math in Successful Owner Operators Know Speed Kills… Your Profit 

Keep your eyes on the road – there is a lot more to distracted driving than using your phone. Anything that pulls your attention from the roadway counts as distracted driving. Remember, the best drivers have shifty eyes. Shifting your eyes constantly while driving will help make you a safer driver. In time you’ll develop a sixth sense, being able to judge exactly what will happen on the road ahead of or beside you. You’ll be able to keep yourself out of near miss situations, accidents and be able to plan for a safe escape route if chaos begins.

Put down the phone and leave the satellite message for later – When it comes to distracted driving, texting is the worst culprit. Law enforcement has zeroed in on the use of handheld devices. Heavy penalties are in place for truck drivers and motorists who are caught using their hand-held device while operating a CMV. Remember, if you’re texting no driving and if your driving, no texting.

Buckle up – The penalty for not wearing your seatbelt is costly to you and the company you work for. Not only will you receive a ticket, demerits and a hit on your abstract; your company’s safety rating will be affected in turn affecting all the drivers of the fleet. Be Responsible – Buckle Up!

Give everyone room – Tailgating is an aggressive act that intimidates others on the roadway; it is a ticketable offence, and more importantly, it is dangerous to both the driver who does the tailgating and the car that is being tailgated. Many accidents and deaths can be avoided simply by following and maintaining safe following distance. Remember, You don’t arrive faster by tailgating.

Be smart about lane changes – Passing and changing lanes is a manoeuvre that carries a lot of risks even when driving conditions are great. Mostly it’s perceived to be a simple manoeuvre. We do it almost out of reflex and we can get lazy about it. However, it’s something we do many times per day, big trucks have huge blind spots, and four-wheelers often race us to prevent us from getting in front of them.