WASHINGTON — Truck inspectors across North America are out in full force this week for the annual Operation Safe Driver campaign.

The week-long Operation Safe Driver blitz — conducted by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance between Oct. 18 and 24 through enforcement agencies like Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Transport Canada — targets problem drivers, both commercial and those who drive passenger vehicles, in crash-prone highway corridors.

The campaign involves over 4,000 law enforcement personnel and more than 1,300 localities in 37 states and provinces through a combination of enforcement, education and awareness strategies.

This year, educational activities have been expanded to include seminars, webinars, podcasts, and training videos and materials that will be distributed to truckers at roadside.

In the 2008 campaign, 32,708 commercial vehicle roadside inspections were conducted, with 22.9 percent of Level 1 inspections resulting in the vehicles being placed out of service; and 5.3 percent resulting in the driver being placed out of service.