Truck Topics
CSA 2010 Brings Change for Drivers: CSA Primer Part 2 of 4
In
the first installment of this series, we offered a somewhat broad
overview of what CSA 2010 proposes to do in terms of changing the
overall safety standards. In this installment, we're going to look at
what those changes mean for drivers.
CSA 2010's changes will
be significant and somewhat sweeping for drivers, especially in that
many of these changes are things that drivers haven't had to deal with
before. Specifically, for the first time, drivers will be assigned and
expected to maintain a safety record that will follow them no matter
what company they work for, how many companies they work for, and for
how long they work. The safety record is dictated by how the driver
drives--accidents, tickets, roadside inspections, and maybe warning
tickets will impact the driver's record. One feature of CSA 2010 is
that driver pay could be affected with positive or negative safety
records, though I haven't seen much detail about this feature and its
rules.
The driver safety record, as I noted, will be measured
according to how safely the driver drives and how safe his or her
vehicle is. These levels of safety will be measured according to
standards I discussed in part 1 of this series, BASICS (Behavior
Analysis & Safety Improvement Categories). In part 1, I offered a
general overview--here, we'll take a look at how BASICS apply
specifically to drivers.
Unsafe Driving: This criterion
is measured by reviewing traffic violations for speeding, reckless
driving, improper lane changes, inattention, and other similar issues.
Driver
Fitness: FMCSA measures driver fitness by ensuring that the driver has
a valid commercial driver's license and by reviewing crash reports for
information relating to a lack of experience or medical limitations as
a cause or contributing factor to the crash.
Fatigued
Driving: Fatigued driving is measured by reviewing hours-of-service
violations and by reviewing crash reports for driver fatigue as a cause
or contributing factor.
Controlled Substance/Alcohol: This
criterion is measured by FMCSA by reviewing roadside inspections data
for controlled substances/alcohol violations, by reviewing crash
reports for controlled substances/alcohol data, and by collecting drug
and alcohol tests on drivers.
Crash Indicator: High numbers of crashes and data on crashes are collected by FMCSA from law enforcement crash reports.
Vehicle
Maintenance: Maintenance will be measured according to roadside
inspection data for brakes, lights, and other mechanical defects; by
reviewing crash reports for data regarding mechanical failure; and by
reviewing compliance review data for violations regarding pre-trip
inspections and maintenance and repair records.
Improper
Cargo Loading/Parts Securement: FMCSA will review data in roadside
inspection reports for violations relating to parts securement, hazmat
handling, and cargo retention; they'll also look at crash reports for
information regarding shifting loads and/or dropped cargo.
So,
once the data is collected, what happens to the driver? Any violations
would apply to the driver's safety record, which has three "grades:"
"Continue to operate," "Marginal," and "Unfit." If the driver
qualifies as "Marginal," FMCSA interventions take place, and depending
upon severity, these can vary from roadside inspections to warning
letters to claim settlements. Of course, if a driver is deemed
"Unfit," this situation would result in a suspension.
Next
question: how does FMCSA determine the severity of a violation? The
simplest way to put it is to say that it's pretty complicated. FMCSA
has a weight chart for each BASIC as well as types of violation within
those categories. In a summary of these violation weights at
http://www.csa2010.com, it's noted that the weights are scaled from one
to 10, with 10 being the most severe. It's these charts that will be
used in safety evaluations and, depending upon a driver's score, how
appropriate interventions for violations will be determined. You can
see the weight charts for yourself at http://bit.ly/txDas.
The
one remaining question is this: How do I keep a good safety record as a
driver? CSA2010.com does have some tips for drivers and how they can
make sure that they keep their safety records in the clear. These are:
Don't speed.
"35% of roadside inspections are triggered by speed. By not speeding,
you will avoid a speeding ticket and a roadside inspection."
Make sure your brake lights and tires are in good shape.
"31% of roadside inspections are triggered by observable defects
(brakes, lights and tires). Make sure you do thorough and routine
pre-trip component inspections. Don’t make yourself a target for a
roadside inspection!"
Keep learning. "Participate
in as much safety training as you can. The more you learn and
re-enforce safe driving behavior the better driver you will become.
Make sure you maintain a top driver safety rating and you will ensure a
successful career as a professional driver."
The short
answer here is that s/he should be mindful of safety--and the rules of
CSA 2010. No matter how complicated the policies and procedures of the
new rules are, they all boil down to fairly simple principles that have
been in practice for decades.