Our latest DOT Compliance Updates. We will update this section regularly so please check back often.
CSA 2010 - Driver Safety Enforcement: What Motor Carriers Need To Know
Driver safety enforcement impacts both drivers and carriers. Research, such as the Large Truck Crash Causation Study, has shown that unsafe driver behavior is a major contributor to commercial motor vehicle-related crashes. Other studies indicate that a small segment of the driver population is involved in a disproportionately large number of crashes. As a result, during the CSA 2010 Operational Model Test, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is expanding its approach to identifying and addressing unsafe drivers during interventions with motor carriers.
Today’s Compliance Review program:
- Focuses primarily on motor carriers
- Allows drivers to elude safety programs by “jumping” from one carrier to another, leaving employers unaware of the drivers’ poor safety records
- Relies heavily on the carriers to be accountable for individual driver safety
The new CSA 2010 approach will:
- Directly monitor the safety and performance of individual drivers
- Address problem drivers based on their records across multiple employers
- Hold both motor carriers and drivers responsible for safety and performance
How Does the CSA 2010 Driver Enforcement Process Work?
The driver enforcement process provides FMCSA with the tools to identify problem drivers and to verify and address the issues. The new Driver Safety Measurement System enables Safety Investigators (SIs) to evaluate roadside performance of drivers across employers over a 3-year period. Using this system, SIs can identify “high profile” drivers with overall poor safety histories, who work for carriers that have been identified as requiring a CSA 2010 investigation. If the investigation results verify the driver violation(s), FMCSA takes an enforcement action against that driver, such as a Notice of Violation or a Notice of Claim.
CSA 2010 Driver Safety Enforcement Approach
- Focuses on driver enforcement for serious rule violations, such as
- Driving while disqualified
- Driving without a valid commercial driver's license
- Making a false entry on a medical certificate
- Committing numerous Hours-of-Service violations
- Enforcement action will be taken directly against the driver for these violations. If the carrier is also determined to be a responsible party, it may also receive enforcement action.
Looking ahead, FMCSA plans to identify and intervene with unsafe drivers beyond the pool of drivers that are addressed in conjunction with motor carrier interventions.
Making Carriers Aware of Driver Safety Performance
Beginning in late 2009, FMCSA’s Commercial Drivers Pre-Employment Screening Program will provide carriers with the safety performance histories of individual drivers based on their work with previous employers. These “Driver Profiles” contain important driver data including crash and inspection histories for individual drivers. Under the program, a driver would authorize FMCSA to release this information to carriers through a third party contractor. Drivers will also be able to obtain their own crash and inspection file through the third party or through a FOIA request with FMCSA. CSA 2010 is an FMCSA initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce CMV- related crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
