In The News

Federal safety program testing expands

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration chief John Hill said he was “tremendously impressed” with SafeStat’s replacement, the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010, which just entered its second phase of testing.


Hill said the CSA had finished the first six months testing in Colorado, Georgia, Missouri and New Jersey. “I urge to you to invest in the CSA 2010 initiative,” Hill said. “Study the website. Ask questions online. Discuss it with your peers.”


In 1999, the FMCSA formulated SafeStat – a data-driven, performance-based algorithm used to identify potentially high-risk motor carriers. In 2004, FMCSA removed from its public websites the overall SafeStat scores and all SafeStat accident data, calling the move temporary and saying it was necessary to make sure the accident data was accurate, complete and timely. The agency did improve SafeStat, but CSA is expected to use safety-related data more proactively to oversee motor carriers and drivers.


In 2004, the agency began CSA 2010 to improve the FMCSA’s current motor vehicle safety compliance and enforcement programs by identifying drivers and operators posing safety problems and addressing those problems. The operational model test will run into mid-2010 when it will be rolled out and implemented.


The compliance review is used for a carrier’s safety rating, but under the present labor-intensive compliance review regime, officials reach only fewer than 2 percent of motor carriers annually. The CSA 2010 adds associated enforcement programs to compliance reviews for more targeted intervention for carriers on a case-by case basis.


CSA assigns greater weight to data collected during roadside safety inspections than SafeStat. It allows motor carriers to be rated – if enough data are available – based solely upon their roadside performance. The issuance of a rating will not necessarily depend on the completion of a compliance review.


Differences between the two systems include CSA examines seven behaviors, while SafeStat is organized into four, and CSA uses all safety-based violations instead of only out-of-service violations and selected moving violations. Also, CSA assesses individual drivers and carriers, while SafeStat assesses only carriers.


The second CSA testing phase will focus more on drivers. During the carrier review process, the agency will identify problem drivers for possible interventions. This phase will incorporate all measures of Behavioral Analysis Safety Improvement Categories, which are:


•Unsafe driving,
•Fatigued driving
•Driver fitness
•Drugs/alcohol
•Vehicle maintenance
•Cargo securement
•Crash experience.


In upcoming months, officials will develop a protocol for determining crash accountability for fatal and non-fatal commercial vehicle crashes.