CSA Scores to Make Early Comeback?

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In 2015, the FAST Act required FMCSA to remove CSA (Compliance, Safety and Accountability) information from public view. It also mandated that FMCSA repair the CSA program so that scores can be used as a consistent, reliable safety measure.

The CSA scores have been controversial since FMCSA made the data available to the public. While some argued that the scores would improve highway safety, others were frustrated with the accuracy of the ratings. The Government Accountability Office criticized the scores, calling them unreliable.

The ATA was happy to see the mandate of CSA changes. “By ordering an evaluation and improvement of CSA, and removing flawed scores from the system, this bill [the FAST Act] is an important victory for data and accuracy in regulatory oversight,” said the ATA Executive Vice President, Dave Osiecki.

CSA, an FMCSA initiative, was introduced in December 2010 to improve the safety of commercial motor vehicles. As part of the initiative, FMCSA uses the Safety Measurement System (SMS) to assess compliance by analyzing safety data. The SMS organizes roadside inspection, crash, and investigation information into seven BASICs: unsafe driving, crash indicator, HOS compliance, vehicle maintenance, controlled substances/alcohol, hazardous materials compliance, and driver fitness.

The scores were removed last year, pending the required overhaul. According to FMCSA’s website, pursuant to the FAST Act of 2015, some information that was available on the website related to property carrier’s compliance and safety performance is no longer available for public display.

In July 2016, FMCSA outlined plans for a two-year program allowing certain nonpreventable crashes to be removed from motor carriers’ public and private safety profiles. Under the program, when a crash is determined nonpreventable, it would be removed.

Anthony Foxx, Transportation Secretary, believes it will take two years for the program’s scores to be reposted online.

In just 7 months, FMCSA has made huge progress towards fixing the CSA program.

The unsafe driving, driver fitness, HOS compliance, vehicle maintenance and controlled substances/alcohol aspects of the seven BASICs are already available to the public on an interim basis.

Motor freight carriers can view their complete CSA scores by logging in with their official DOT number so they can work to improve their compliance before the full scores go public.

FMCSA is already pushing to pass a new safety proposal, the safety fitness determination rule, before CSA information is even allowed to be made public.

FMCSA continues, month by month, to add more CSA information onto their website. Duane DeBruyne, FMCSA spokesman, said that except for a “couple more IT issues to work through,…all the most substantive changes” to the interim public display have been made.

CSA scores will be made public again one way or another. Whether you believe that’s good or bad, it appears FMCSA is fully supporting a quick return of this information to the public.

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