The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration holds motor carriers and drivers responsible for meeting safety standards and regulations. FMCSA has their own safety compliance and enforcement program called CSA, which stands for Compliance, Safety, Accountability.
Carriers can find their data stored on FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS), which they use to track the number, severity, and date of safety violations, as well as crash and inspection data. Data is also maintained for the number of vehicles a carrier owns and operates, as well as the miles that were traveled.
The FMCSA uses Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvements Categories (BASICs) to organize SMS data. Data is derived from the following categories, according to the CSA:
- Unsafe Driving- Violations include not wearing a seat belt, speeding, distracted driving, reckless driving, and improper lane changes
- Crash Indicator- A history of the drivers crash records (non-public) are reviewed
- Hours of Service (HOS) Compliance- Noncompliance with HOS regulations, including logbooks
- Vehicle Maintenance- Brakes, lights, defects, and failure to make repairs
- Controlled Substances/Alcohol- Use or possession of drugs and/or alcohol
- Hazardous Materials Compliance- Leaking containers, improper packaging
- Driver Fitness- Must be medically fit to operate a commercial motor vechicle (CMV) and hold a valid license
Once this data is derived, carriers are then grouped with others who have similar safety incidents, then a ranking system is used to determine prioritization for interventions that seek to help improve safety and maintain compliance.
