1. CSA 2010 Operational Model Test Introduction to the Safety Measurement System Version September 2010 1

2. Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010
What is CSA 2010?
CSA 2010 is a proactive initiative to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of FMCSA’s enforcement and compliance program to achieve the Agency’s mission to reduce commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes, fatalities, and injuries.
What is CSA 2010 and what are the benefits?
New program that will help the Agency in its goal to reduce crashes.
The program leverages the use of technology by using safety performance data collected roadside and through crash reports.
It uses that data to identify unsafe carriers and drivers and to pinpoint their safety performance problems.
By alerting carriers early that they are on FMCSA’s radar, the new model provides an opportunity for carriers to fix safety problems before they grow and to get off of the radar quickly without the expense of a full compliance review.
Because the data are updated monthly, the new model requires sustained accountability for safe performance for both carriers and drivers and gives carriers a tool to identify and address safety problems.

3. Three Core Components New Safety Measurement System (SMS)
Improved ability to identify demonstrated safety problems
New interventions process
Employs an array of interventions instead of the single option, labor-intensive compliance review
New approach to Safety Fitness Determination (SFD)
SFD would be tied to current safety performance; not limited to results of acute/critical violations from a Compliance Review
3 components, but will be focusing this presentation on the new measurement system (click the mouse for the SMS bullet to turn red)

4. Purpose of Carrier Safety Measurement System (CSMS)
Identify carriers for CSA 2010 interventions
Along with investigation findings, determines what problems need to be addressed by intervention process
Monitors carriers on road performance for improvements throughout the process
Measurement results would support future Safety Fitness Determinations
Upcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be available for public comment (early 2011); initial rollout of CSA 2010 is not dependent on rule
Provides stakeholders with safety information to assist in safety-based business decisions
The measurement system is essentially FMCSA’s radar system. It is a better measurement system because it identifies more carriers with safety compliance problems, and clarifies those problems so they can be addressed.
While the proposed SFD is part of the new approach, it will not be rolled out with SMS and new interventions in It is dependent on future rulemaking. An explanation of how SFD would work will be detailed and presented for public comment in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in early 2011.
The results of the CSMS can help other stakeholders (shippers, insurance, drivers) make safety-based business decisions. Similar to how the SafeStat results on FMCSA’s A&I website are used by stakeholders today.

5. Current System (SafeStat) vs. New CSMS
SafeStat: Safety Evaluation Areas (SEAs)
CSMS: Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs)
Driver
Fitness
Vehicle Maintenance
Controlled Substance
/ Alcohol
Cargo-
Related
Crash Indicator
Fatigued Driving
Unsafe
Driving
Vehicle
Driver
Accident
SafeStat is the system that currently identifies carriers for compliance reviews based on 4 broad areas, using limited roadside inspection violations data.
CSMS leverages all safety violation data from roadside inspections. CSMS with its 7 BASICs will better pinpoint the type of safety problems that can be surgically addressed with CSA 2010 interventions.
Out-of-Service Violations
Certain Moving Violations
Crash Reports
All Safety-based Violations with Risk-based Severity Weights
Crash Reports
National Training Center

6. Methodology Overview
Gather 24 months of on-road safety event data (i.e., inspections, crashes) to create a safety event history
Place each carrier violation and/or crash into a BASIC
Convert BASIC data into quantifiable measure/rate
Develop a percentile rank for each BASIC based on each carrier BASIC measure
Safety Event Data
BASIC Data
BASIC Measures
Percentile
The new SMS takes all the on road safety performance data in FMCSA’s data system (MCMIS), distributes it into the “right buckets,” and assigns a severity risk.
After getting the data, the CSMS weights the data and gives the carrier a percentile based on carriers with similar amounts of safety events. For example, how does ABC trucking compare to other carriers that have a fatigue BASIC?
BASIC measures “how much does this bucket weigh now?”
The percentile tells us how the “bucket” compares relative to carriers with similar numbers of safety events.

7. Safety Event Data
Safety event data attributed to 730,000 active carriers:
24 months of carrier on-road safety performance:
6.9 Million inspections
12.4 Million safety-based violations discovered
240,000 crashes
Safety Event Data
BASIC Data
BASIC Measures
Percentile
Here we describe Safety Events.
For carriers – CSMS looks at a 2-year window.
CSMS also looks at intrastate carriers that haul hazardous materials.

8. BASIC Data Safety Event Data Sorted by BASIC
Unsafe Driving (Parts 392 & 397)
Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service)
(Parts 392 & 395)
Driver Fitness (Parts 383 & 391)
Controlled Substances/Alcohol
(Parts 382 & 392)
Vehicle Maintenance (Parts 393 & 396)
Cargo-Related (Parts 392, 393, 397 & HM)
Crash
Safety Event Data
BASIC Data
BASIC Measures
Percentile
This slide lists the seven Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories
The methodology is designed to weight on-road safety data based on its relationship to crash risk, and focuses on behaviors that lead to crash risk.
HM regulation violations (171, 172, 173, 177, 178, 180) may also be found/included in other BASICs such as driver fitness, but the most concentrated BASIC for these is Cargo Related so they are listed there.

9. BASIC Measures BASIC Data Quantifiable Measures Considerations:
Time Weighting / Time Frame – More recent events more relevant
Severity Weighting – Increase weighting of violations shown to create a greater risk of crash involvement/consequence
Severity Weight Cap – Limit total severity weight in BASIC in one inspection
Violation Cap – Cited section number only counts once per inspection
Segmentation – (Crash and Unsafe Driving) Segment carrier population into two groups based on types of vehicles operated: Combo and Straight (New!)
Normalization – Based on exposure:
For Crash and Unsafe Driving: Power Units (PUs) and Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) (New!)
For all other BASICs: Number of relevant inspections
Safety Event Data
BASIC Data
BASIC Measures
Percentile
After the data is in the appropriate bucket – it is weighted. Several things are considered:
Time weighting: The data are time-weighted over a 24-month period so that it is reflective of current on-road safety performance. The time weight places more emphasis on recent events relative to older events. This allows the CSMS to be more responsive to recent changes in a carrier’s behavior (both positive, such as inspections with no violations, or negative, such as inspections with many violations)
Severity weighting; The severity weights help differentiate the levels of crash risk associated with the various violations attributed to each BASIC.  The violation severity weights are assigned on a 1 to 10 scale, where 1 represents the lowest crash risk and 10 represents the highest crash risk relative to the other violations in the BASIC. Because the weights reflect the relative importance of each violation within each particular BASIC, they cannot be compared meaningfully across the various BASICs. So simply “adding” severity weights from violations across different BASICs for a carrier or driver(which the CSMS does not do as each BASIC is assessed independently), can produce nonsensical results.
Severity Weight Cap – Limits the amount of severity weight applied to one BASIC from any one inspection. This helps prevent any one bad inspection from dominating a carrier’s BASIC results. CSMS is trying to identify carriers with pattern of poor performance, not carriers with one bad inspection. - especially important to small carriers with few inspections.
Violation Cap – Multiple counts of the same violation cite are counted once. – helps establish uniformity and consistency
Normalizing – this is a denominator, or “exposure” for safety events

10. New Considerations for Unsafe Driving BASIC and Crash Indicator only
Industry Segmentation (New!)
Separate carriers into two groups based on the types of vehicles operated so that companies operating fundamentally different types of vehicles are no longer compared with each other:
Combo –Combination trucks/motorcoach buses = 70% or more of total PU
Straight –Straight trucks/other vehicles = more than 30% of total PU
Normalize by a combination of PU and VMT (New!)
Increases exposure for carriers with above average utilization (VMT per Avg. PU), where Census VMT data (within 24 months) are available
VMT data, like the PU data, comes from MCS-150 form (Motor Carrier Census Form) or from Census information recorded as part of a DOT review.
The MCS-150 form is supposed to be filled out at least one every two years. On the form, the carrier is to enter the annualized VMT by its fleet over the last full calendar year. Example, if a carrier fills out the from today, it should provide the VMT over CSMS uses the VMT data only if it covers VMT any period of time within the past 24 months. Currently, CSMS uses VMT data covering calendar year 2009 and If the VMT is missing or older than 2008 than it will not be used and CSMS will default to Average number of Power Units.
The PUs numbers are based on what the PUs listed in the in the Carrier Census currently, 6 months ago and 18 months ago. Specifically, Average number of PUs is calculated by the carrier’s (current # of PUs + # of PUs 6 months ago + # of PUs 18 months ago) divided by 3.

11. Module 2
Unsafe Driving BASIC
Operation of CMVs in a dangerous or careless manner.
Examples:
speeding
reckless driving
improper lane change
Dangerous or careless operation of commercial motor vehicles. Data includes driver traffic violations recorded in inspection reports for speeding, reckless driving, improper lane change, inattention, and other unsafe driving behavior.
Refers to Regulations: 177, 392, 397, 398
National Training Center
CSA SMS & BASICs

12. Unsafe Driving Measure
Violation Severity Weight – Based on crash risk; range from 1 to 10, where 10 is most severe
Time Weight – 0-6 Months (x3), 6-12 Months (x2), Months (x1)
Utilization Factor: A multiplier between 1 and 3, based on carrier segment and truck utilization (VMT per PU)

13. Unsafe Driving Measure: Utilization Factor (New!)
Carriers with above average utilization (up to 200,000 VMT per avg. PU) receive a positive adjustment to their level of exposure:
Straight Segment: over 20,000 VMT per Avg. PU
Combo Segment: over 80,000 VMT per Avg. PU
Carriers with (1) less than average utilization for its segment, (2) unreasonably high / suspect utilization rate of 200K VMT per PU, or (3) have no recent VMT data to calculate a utilization rate – Have a utilization factor of “1” that defaults the level of exposure to the average number of PUs.
Carriers with reasonable utilization rates that are above average for its segment – have their exposure increased up to 3 times the average PUs for the Straight Segment and 1.6 times (or a 60% increase) for the Combo segment.
Note that it is in the best interest of a carrier to provide updated VMT data as it can only improve a carrier’s Unsafe Driver BASIC result. A carrier can check the CSA 2010 data preview website to see if it was provided recent VMT data on its MCS Also, make sure that the VMT is accurate, as DOT will be validating this VMT information.

14. Fatigued Driving (HOS) BASIC
Module 2
Fatigued Driving (HOS) BASIC
Operation of CMVs by drivers ill, fatigued, or in non-compliance with the hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. Examples: HOS, Form and Manner, and operating CMV while ill or fatigued (all Part 395).
Driving commercial motor vehicles when fatigued. This would be distinguished from incidents where unconsciousness or an inability to react is brought about by the use of alcohol, drugs, or other controlled substances. Data includes hours-of-service violations and driving while ill or fatigued from roadside inspections.
Refers to Regulations: 392, 395
National Training Center
CSA SMS & BASICs

15. Fatigued Driving (HOS) Measure
Violation Severity Weight – Based on crash risk; range from 1 to 10, where 10 is most severe; OOS violation +2
Time Weight Months (x3), 6-12 Months (x2), Months (x1)
Normalized by Relevant Inspections – All Levels 1,2,3,6 (including clean) and any other inspections resulting in Fatigue (HOS) violations

16. Module 2
Driver Fitness BASIC
Operation of CMVs by drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to lack of training, experience, or medical qualifications. Examples: failure to have valid and appropriate CDL or being medically unqualified to operate a CMV.
Operation of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) by drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to lack of training, experience, or medical qualification. Data includes inspection violations for failure to have a valid and appropriate commercial driver's license, or medical or training documentation
Refers to Regulations: 383, 386, 391, 172, 177, 374,
National Training Center
CSA SMS & BASICs

17. Driver Fitness Measure
Violation Severity Weight – Based on crash risk; range from 1 to 10, where 10 is most severe; OOS violation +2
Time Weight – 0-6 Months (x3), 6-12 Months (x2), Months (x1)
Normalized by Relevant Inspections – All Levels 1,2,3,6 (including clean) and any other inspections resulting in Driver Fitness violations
Here we look at CDL violations. About 2/3 to 3/4s of these violations are due to medical certificate issues.

18. Controlled Substances/Alcohol BASIC
Module 2
Controlled Substances/Alcohol BASIC
Operation of a CMV while impaired due to alcohol, illegal drugs, and misuse of prescription medications or over-the-counter medications. Examples: use or possession of controlled substances or alcohol.
Data includes roadside violations involving controlled substances or alcohol (Part 392).
National Training Center
CSA SMS & BASICs

19. Controlled Substances/Alcohol Measure
Violation Severity Weight – Based on crash risk; range from 1 to 10, where 10 is most severe
Time Weight – 0-6 Months (x3), 6-12 Months (x2), Months (x1)
Normalized by Relevant Inspections – All Levels 1,2,3,6 (including clean) and any other inspections resulting in Controlled Substances/Alcohol violations (New!)
This BASIC measure is normalized by number of relevant inspections. (older version used average number of PUs for normalization)

20. Vehicle Maintenance BASIC
Module 2
Vehicle Maintenance BASIC
Operation of CMVs having improper or inadequate maintenance.
Examples:
brakes
lights
other mechanical defects
failure to make required repairs
Data includes roadside violations for brakes, lights, and other mechanical defects
Refers to Regulations: 365, 374, 385, 392, 393, 396, 399,
National Training Center
CSA SMS & BASICs

21. Vehicle Maintenance Measure
Violation Severity Weight – Based on crash risk; range from 1 to 10, where 10 is most severe; OOS violation +2
Time Weight – 0-6 Months (x3), 6-12 Months (x2), Months (x1)
Normalized by Relevant Inspections – All Levels 1,2,5,6 (including clean) and any other inspections resulting in Vehicle Maintenance violations

22. Module 2
Cargo Related BASIC
Operation of CMV with potential of shifting loads, spilled or dropped cargo, or unsafe handling of hazardous materials.
Examples:
improper load securement
cargo retention
hazardous material handling
Data includes roadside inspection violations pertaining to load securement, cargo retention, and hazardous material handling
Refers to Regulations: 171, 172, 173, 177, 178, 180, 385, 392, 393, 397
National Training Center
CSA SMS & BASICs

23. Cargo-Related Measure
Violation Severity Weight – Based on crash risk; range from 1 to 10, where 10 is most severe; OOS violation +2
Time Weight – 0-6 Months (3), 6-12 Months (2), Months (1)
Normalized by Relevant Inspections – All Levels 1,2,5,6 (including clean) and any other inspections resulting in Cargo-Related violations

24. Module 2
Crash Indicator
Data includes state-reported law enforcement crash reports.
Histories or patterns of high crash involvement, including frequency and severity. Based on state-reported crash records.
National Training Center
CSA SMS & BASICs

25. Crash Measure
Time Weight – 0-6 Months (3), 6-12 Months (2), Months (1)
Crash Severity Weight
Range from 1 to 3 – Crashes involving injury/fatality or HM release have more weight
Utilization Factor: A multiplier between 1 and 3, based on carrier segment and truck utilization (VMT per PU) (New!)
All crashes are used regardless of accountability/preventability

26. Crash Indicator: Utilization Factor (New!)
Carriers with above average utilization (up to 200,000 VMT per avg. PU) receive a positive adjustment to their level of exposure:
Straight Segment: over 20,000 VMT per Avg. PU
Combo Segment: over 80,000 VMT per Avg. PU
Same Utilization Factor used in Unsafe Driving BASIC.
Recent VMT data: Within 24 months from either an MCS-150 update or compliance review.
Carriers with (1) less than average utilization for its segment, (2) unreasonably high / suspect utilization rate of 200K VMT per PU, or (3) have no recent VMT data to calculate a utilization rate – have a utilization factor of “1” that defaults the level of exposure to the average number of PUs.
Carriers with reasonable utilization rates that are above average for its segment – have their exposure increased up to 3 times the average PUs for the Straight Segment and 1.6 times (or a 60% increase) for the Combo segment.
Note that it is in the best interest of a carrier to provide updated VMT data as it can only improve a carrier’s Crash Indicator result. A carrier can check the CSA 2010 data preview website to see if it was provided recent VMT data on its MCS Also, make sure that the VMT is accurate, as DOT will be validating this VMT information.

27. Percentile BASIC Measures Percentile Rank
Based on each BASIC measure, develop percentile rank indicating carrier’s BASIC performance
Provides a relative assessment of performance
Allows for prioritizing intervention resources by behavior
Higher percentage = worse performance (i.e. 87% means carrier is worse than 87% of carriers that have similar numbers of safety events in the given BASIC)
Considerations:
Data Sufficiency Standards – define events/exposure necessary to generate a robust measure
Current Inspection and Crash Data – assignment of percentile dependent on age and result of most recent inspection (12 months)
Safety Event Grouping –compare measures of carriers with similar numbers of safety events (Updated!)
Safety Event Data
BASIC Data
BASIC Measures
Percentile
This slide introduces the percentile concept that provides a quantifiable rank to identify which carriers are the worst in a BASIC.
After looking at all the safety events – they are measured with the formulas just covered. The next step is assigning a percentile to the carrier.
Here SMS does “safety event grouping” to compare carriers with similar numbers of relevant events, and also applies data sufficiency standards to make sure there is enough data to get a percentile result.
The system reviews data from the last 24 months, but places greater emphasis on events within the last 12 months. This approach helps prevent a carrier from being assigned a high percentile when it has no recent history of poor performance.

28. Percentile (Data Sufficiency Standards)
Minimum number of inspections with applicable violations required for percentile to be assigned
Assists in identification of patterns of carrier behavior based on noted safety problems across multiple inspections
BASIC
Number of
Inspections
Unsafe Driving 3
Fatigued Driving (HOS)
Driver Fitness 5
Controlled Substances / Alcohol 1
Vehicle Maintenance
Cargo-Related
Crash
2 Crashes
Percentiles are not assigned until sufficient data is obtained.
Agency wants to make sure there are a minimum number of inspections.
With that data, patterns of a carrier’s behavior can be seen.

29. Percentile (Safety Event Grouping: Unsafe Driving)
Percentiles are assigned to carriers with similar number of Safety Events
Below are the tables used to determine Safety Event Grouping for each BASIC (note: Unsafe Driving and Crash BASICs split between segments)
The carriers are first separated into the Combo or Straight segment. Then within each segment they are assigned to a Safety Event Group based on the number of inspections with Unsafe Driving Violations. All carriers with each Safety Event Group are assigned a percentile rank from 0 to 100 based on their Unsafe Driving Measure.
(New!)

30. Percentile (Safety Event Grouping: Crash)
(New!)
The carriers are first separated into the Combo or Straight segment. Then within each segment they are assigned to a Safety Event Group based on the number of crashes. All carriers with each Safety Event Group are assigned a percentile rank from 0 to 100 based on their Crash Measure.
National Training Center

31. Percentile (Safety Event Grouping: Remaining BASICs)
(New!)
National Training Center

32. Percentiles and Investigations
Goal: identify carriers with both
Crash rate higher than population average
Known on-road compliance issues
Intervention thresholds for carriers are organized by BASIC and are set based on the BASIC’s relationship to crash risk
Carriers that exceed the BASIC threshold are identified for interventions
BASIC
General HM
Passenger
Unsafe Driving,
Fatigued Driving (HOS),
Crash Indicator
65%
60%
50%
Driver Fitness,
Drugs / Alcohol,
Vehicle Maintenance,
Cargo-Related
80%
75%
Thresholds are different depending on the BASIC and type of carrier.
A methodology was applied to determine these thresholds based on the relation of these BASIC percentiles and crash rates. Carriers with any BASIC above the 65%/80% levels were shown as a group to have higher than average crash rates.

33. Deficient BASICs
Carrier BASIC Assessments (Deficiencies) are determined by two inputs:
CSMS results
Percentiles calculated based on on-road performance
BASIC is considered deficient if percentile is above threshold
Serious Violations discovered during investigations (CSA 2010 investigations and/or Compliance Reviews)
Egregious non-compliance requiring immediate corrective action is necessary, OR
Directly related to carrier’s management and/or operational controls
If serious violation is found, BASIC is considered deficient and displayed accordingly on a carrier’s record for 12 months

34. Example of SafeStat vs. SMS
Carrier under the Radar with Existing
SafeStat System

35. Carrier Measurement: SafeStat Results
The next four slides show how the Carrier SMS is different from SafeStat
The example is based on REAL DATA although the carrier information is blacked out.
The Carrier in SafeStat is flying under the radar with no SEA values above 75.
The carrier does not have a safety rating as they have not had a compliance review.
However, moving to the next slide, you will see that the carrier has very different results when measured using current on-road safety performance data provided by SMS.

36. Carrier Measurement: SMS Results
This slide shows the carrier who was under the radar in SAFESTAT, is shown under CSMS to have a serious safety deficiency related to both Unsafe Driving and Driver Fitness; the early identification of the problem is good news for both the carrier and the public.
(CLICK MOUSE) We will focus on the Driver Fitness BASIC for now.
The carrier’s rating is worse than 98.1% of the carriers evaluated in this BASIC in this peer group.
The next screen shows the detailed information resulting in that percentile.
From a carrier’s perspective, as well as the public’s perspective, identifying this safety problem early and putting actions in place to fix it before a crash occurs, increases safety for everyone, and in the long run saves the carrier money, the government time, and most important, saves lives.
Such specific safety deficiencies may not warrant a full CR, but may indicate the need for a focused review that can save carriers’ time while allowing the agency to effectively correct the specific safety problem.

37. Violation Details Provided in SMS
So why is this carrier’s Driver Fitness score so high?
This shows that it has multiple occurrences of no and expired medical certificates violations and drivers lacking the proper qualifications
SMS is identifying a pattern of behavior across multiple inspections

38. Further Drilldown in SMS
SMS Facilitates Problem Identification
The new SMS website allows us to drill down to see further details related to this high driver fitness BASIC.
It is clear that various drivers are having the same medical certificate issues, and these reports are coming in on multiple drivers, but also that there are drivers cited for the same violation on multiple inspections. The problem is not limited to one problem driver and indicates a process breakdown that the carrier is now in a position to fix.

39. How does a carrier improve and get out of the intervention process?
“Good” Inspections
“Get Well” Rules
Unsafe Driving and Controlled Substances/Alcohol BASICs
No percentile assigned if no inspections with a violation in these BASICs in the last year
Crash Indicator
No percentile assigned if no crashes in last year
Fatigued Driving (HOS), Driver Fitness, Vehicle Maintenance and Cargo-Related BASICs
No percentile assigned if:
No inspections with a violation in that BASIC within the past year; and
Most recent relevant inspection does not have a violation of that BASIC
A common question from carriers is how do I “get better?”
The best way to improve is to get “good” inspections (i.e. no violations) since this is a performance-based system. Also, time weight places emphasis on the results of recent inspections relative to the results of older inspections.
For Fatigued Driving, Driver Fitness, Vehicle Maintenance and Cargo-Related BASICs
No percentile assigned if:
No inspections with a violation in that BASIC within the past year; and
Most recent relevant inspection does not have a violation of that BASIC
For Unsafe Driving, and Controlled Substance/Alcohol BASICs
No inspections with a violation in that BASIC within the past year
For Crash Indicator
No crashes reported within the past year

40. Carrier Access to Percentiles
As of August 16, 2010 all carriers have access to FMCSA’s Data Preview ( which includes carrier safety assessments by BASIC
Carriers will have access to full CSMS results in December 2010
Public will have access to full CSMS results and BASIC assessments in December 2010 except for the Crash Indicator (Public does not have access to Data Preview)
Test state carriers continue to have access to full CSMS results by using the Comprehensive Safety Information (CSI) system

41. New Agency Plans for Drivers
The new measurement system provides an internal tool to address CMV drivers called the Driver Safety Measurement System (DSMS):
Provides enhanced information on individual drivers to investigators to identify drivers with safety problems
Allows for prioritizing driver sampling during carrier investigation
Supports investigator follow up on serious violations
Under CSA 2010, individual drivers will not be assigned safety ratings or safety fitness determinations
The Agency will not give individual driver ratings as part of CSA 2010 despite rumors. In order for the Agency to rate drivers, new authorities would be required through reauthorization AND rulemaking. The next slide will address driver data that will be available to carriers and drivers in the near future.

42. New Agency Plans for Drivers (cont’d)
Other Agency initiatives are underway, including the Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP)
PSP was mandated by Congress and is not a part of CSA 2010
“Driver Profiles” from FMCSA’s Driver Information Resource (DIR) are available to carriers through PSP
Driver Profiles are only released with driver authorization
To sign up for an account, visit:

43. Roadside Data Uniformity
Data collected at the roadside is the foundation of all data driven traffic safety initiatives
CSA 2010 relies on roadside data in its SMS Methodology
The CSA 2010 SFD methodology would use roadside data as a component of safety fitness determinations
Clear understanding that data collected at the roadside is a critical component of all traffic safety initiatives. For example, CSA 2010, TACT etc…
For both the carriers and the enforcement agencies that use this data, its importance cannot be overemphasized.
During the summer of 2008, FMCSA and its state partners working on the Op Model test (FSWG) identified a need to enhance the uniformity and quality of roadside violation data.
During discussions the consensus was that the data in its current form is fundamentally sound, valid, and useable.
However, opportunities exist to enhance the quality of data and in turn, improve the integrity of all traffic safety programs.

44. Roadside Uniformity-Background
Effort organized into four core initiatives:
Consistent documentation of roadside inspection and violation data
Standardized processes for requesting a data review
Increased awareness of high-level goals of the inspection program
Good inspections can support systematic enforcement program
Screening vs. Inspection
Uniform inspection selection processes
The effort to enhance the quality and uniformity of the roadside violation data started at the Fall 2008 CVSA meeting with the creation of an ad-hoc committee to look at this issue.
Currently this committee is managing an Alliance-wide effort to enhance the overall quality and uniformity of the data.
The efforts has four core components listed on the screen.
Consistent documentation of roadside inspection and violation data- Through a FMCSA funded high priority grant, CVSA began work on guidance that will promote and/or mandate the consistent documentation of roadside inspection and violation data.
Standardized processes for challenging data- This initiative will provide procedural guidance on the management of the roadside data challenge process through our Data Q’s management system.
Increased awareness of the high level-goals of the inspection program- This component of the roadside data uniformity initiative will focus on the increased importance of the roadside violation data and an understanding of how the data will be used. The goal is to broaden the understanding that every inspection counts and that there is a direct relation between the collection of the data and the end use of the data.
Uniform inspection selections system-CVSA is currently facilitating discussions regarding the policies that govern when and how vehicles should be selected for an inspection. The goal is to focus discussions on implementing a valid and consistent vehicle and driver inspection selection process operated within the scope of a jurisdiction’s rules and policies that will promote roadside data uniformity.

45. CSMS and Safety Fitness Determination
SFD would:
Incorporate on-road safety performance via new CSMS that updates on a monthly basis
Continue to include major safety violations found as part of CSA 2010 investigations
Produce a Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) of
Unfit or
Marginal or
Continue Operation
Successful implementation of CSA 2010 is NOT dependent on SFD going through.
CSA 2010 incorporates the existing rating process and will continue to do so until SFD goes into effect.
Ratings are issued based on investigation findings:
On-site comprehensive investigations can result in Sat., Conditional or Unsat. ratings
On-site focused investigations can result in Conditional or Unsat. ratings
Off-site investigations do not result in a rating
Carriers can apply for a request for upgrade (§385.17)
Draft rulemaking is currently in review within DOT; NPRM expected to be published early 2011.

46. What Can Carriers Do To Prepare Now?
Educate yourselves and your employees
Understand the SMS Methodology and the BASICs
Check the website for information and updates (
Raise awareness that every inspection and every violation counts
Ensure compliance
Review inspections and violation history over the past 2 years
Log in to the Data Preview ( review BASIC assessments and address safety problems now!
Educate drivers about how their performance impacts their own driving record and the safety assessment of the carrier
Check and update records
Motor Carrier Census (Form MCS -150)
Routinely monitor and review inspection and crash data
Question potentially incorrect data (DataQs:

47. For more information, visit csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov