The U.S. Federal Government is creating a new program to monitor the safety of all commercial truck drivers and trucking companies. The new program, created by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), is called Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010). Portions of the new truck safety monitoring system will take effect later in the year with some portions delayed until 2011.
CSA 2010 was created because the rate of reduction in accidents and fatalities over the years has slowed. Therefore, it is time for a new system that can take safety and accountability to the next level, making the roads safer for everyone. CSA 2010 will replace the SAFESTAT system that has been used for many years to help track commercial driver and commercial carrier safety performance. CSA 2010 will gather information nationwide from crash sites and roadside vehicle inspections from the past two years. This data will be used to calculate how safe a particular commercial carrier or truck driver may be.
There are seven BASIC’s (Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories) that will be used to evaluate the safety performance of commercial drivers and commercial carriers. They are:
- Unsafe Driving
- Fatigued Driving (Hours of Service)
- Driver Fitness
- Controlled Substances and Alcohol
- Vehicle Maintenance
- Cargo Related
- Crash Indicator
FMCSA has detailed information on their website about the affects of these pending regulations. According to FMCSA’s website:
Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) does not give the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) the authority to remove 175,000 drivers from their jobs and cannot be used to rate drivers or to revoke a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). FMCSA does not have the authority to take those actions. Only State agencies responsible for issuing licenses, CDL or otherwise, have the authority to suspend them. CSA 2010 does introduce a driver safety assessment tool to help enforcement staff evaluate drivers’ safety as part of motor carrier investigations.
Using the new Safety Measurement System (SMS), FMCSA continues to hold motor carriers responsible for the job performance of those who work for them. Therefore, motor carriers are held accountable for their drivers’ errors such as speeding. This is a longstanding FMCSA position and is not unique to CSA 2010 or the new SMS.
There is also a new rule that amends the FMCSA’s Hours of Service (HOS) rules with regard to commercial truck and bus companies that show serious patterns of HOS violations. The rule, which takes effect on June 1, 2012, will require such companies to install electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) in all vehicles.
About FMCSA
Formerly a part of the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries. Activities of the Administration contribute to ensuring safety in motor carrier operations through strong enforcement of safety regulations; targeting high-risk carriers and commercial motor vehicle drivers; improving safety information systems and commercial motor vehicle technologies; strengthening commercial motor vehicle equipment and operating standards; and increasing safety awareness. To accomplish these activities, the Administration works with Federal, State, and local enforcement agencies, the motor carrier industry, labor safety interest groups, and others.