Monday, March 22, 2010

Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) 2010

CSA 2010 is the FMCSA’s Comprehensive Safety Analysis system. Its purpose is to achieve a greater reduction in large truck and bus crashes, injuries, and fatalities in the United States by identifying individual drivers and motor carrier companies that pose safety problems and intervening to address those problems as soon as they become apparent. Starting in Summer, 2010, FMCSA will implement the CSA 2010.

What does this mean?

• Unsafe carrier and driver behaviors that lead to crashes will be identified;
• All safety-based roadside inspection violations will count;
• Drivers will be more accountable for safe on-road performance.

What will the CSA measure?

Within the CSA 2010 Operational Model, the Safety Measurement System (SMS) quantifies the on-road safety performance of carriers and drivers to identify candidates for interventions, to determine the specific safety problems exhibited by a carrier or driver, and to monitor whether safety problems are improving or getting worse. SMS replaces the FMCSA SafeStat in the new operational model.

Every month, SMS will measure the previous two years of roadside violation and crash data and calculate a score in seven safety behavior areas, called BASICs, Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories. They are as follows:

• Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service) – Operation of CMVs by drivers who are ill, fatigued, or in non-compliance with the Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations. This BASIC includes violations of regulations pertaining to logbooks as they relate to HOS requirements and the management of CMV driver fatigue. Example violations: HOS, logbook, and operating a CMV while ill or fatigued.

• Vehicle Maintenance – CMV failure due to improper or inadequate maintenance. Example violations: brakes, lights, and other mechanical defects, and failure to make required repairs.

• Cargo-Related – CMV incident resulting from shifting loads, spilled or dropped cargo, and unsafe handling of hazardous materials. Example violations: Improper load securement, cargo retention, and size and weight.

• Crash Indicator – Histories or patterns of high crash involvement, including frequency and severity. It is based on information from State-reported crashes.

• Unsafe Driving – Operation of commercial vehicles (CMVs) by drivers in a dangerous or careless manner. Example violations: speeding, reckless driving, and inattention.

• Driver Fitness – Operation of CMVs by drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to lack of training, experience, or medical qualifications. Example violations: failure to have valid and appropriate license, and being medically unqualified to operate a CMV.

• Controlled substances/Alcohol – Operation of CMVs by drivers who are impaired due to alcohol, illegal drugs, and misuse of prescription or over-the-counter medications.

Measurement on the above leads to Safety Evaluations, which will determine any safety deficiencies and if a driver or carrier company is unfit; in this case, they will face suspension of their operations. Recent roadside violations and violations that correlate most with crashed will be weighted more heavily than others.

It will become more and more important for UWC’s Carrier Partners to strictly adhere to the BASICs, especially Hours of Service, as the implications for non-compliance are severe. For more information, please visit the CSA 2010 website: http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov.