The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration held a two day symposium this week where members of the advisory committee were asked to give feedback on the Administration’s CSA program. On Monday and Tuesday, motor carriers, law enforcement, trade associations, brokers, and other industry members were give their chance to voice their opinions. Needless to say, it was two days of almost unanimous frustration.
Many issues were brought up with many different aspects of the CSA; things like how certain aspects of a company’s BASIC score should be weighted differently from others. The main issue that was discussed was the quality of the data the CSA was using and therefore the accuracy of their ratings.
Officers on the scene make many mistakes or overlook many aspects of the accident when reviewing an incident. Jeffrey Kidd of Collision Specialists Inc. pointed out that the crash fault/preventability aspect of an incident report is usually far from complete. Of a total of 239 crashes he investigated for his firm, he found “contributing factors [not noted by the officer at the scene] in almost all of them.”
Furthermore, responding officers often rely on the just the testimony of a sole witness, often one of the people involved in the crash, and don’t bother interviewing other surrounding witnesses.
These are just a few examples of why the data collected is incomplete or sometimes incorrect, and yet the CSA scores can easily ruin a carrier, owner operator, or company driver forever. The CSA program is still young, so there are bound to be some mistakes, some growing pains, but perhaps this time of figuring things out should be done BEFORE it is able to ruin the careers of good drivers who are the victims of bad data.
“I understand the data’s not perfect,” said FMCSA’s Associate Administrator for Enforcement, “but I don’t see a good alternative that we can implement in the political realities of the day.”
The FMCSA’s response was typical for the industry. It’s basically like saying, “Yeah, it’s broken, but we don’t know how to fix it, so you’re just going to have to suffer through it until we can hopefully someday get it right. But it’s not our fault.”
Way to take responsibility, guys.
Next Story: A Driver Database Proposed With 10 Years Of History For Every CDL Holder
Source: overdriveonline
KLong says
“political realities”. I don’t see how politics should have anything to do with saying “this isn’t working, let’s forget it and just let drivers do their jobs”. “Simplicity” isn’t a word that politicians know anything about.
allen says
We know it doesn’t work!We all have friends that lost jobs over incomplete or incorrct information.Yet it seems like we are always the one paying for it..And you really want to us the excuse,
(“it’s political realities?”) When anything is broke,you fix it!
Tim Lucas says
The Department of Transportation must have an honest conversation to begin with where the results hasn’t been tainted to fit the desired outcome. It always leads to more regulations as LaHood is a cookie cutter copy of “The regulation president”. More regulations are never enough. Just like the country trucking has been kept in high alert status and continual motion to the point we are sick of the over reach drowned in programs and rulings that are never complete. Transportation wants unfettered ability to do as they wish “on the spot” and complete outcome regardless of any facts. They wish to be the “high court”. I’m glad LaHood is moving on but doesn’t mean an honest conversation will happen.
Nicole says
I think the biggest injustice of the new system is that a warning for a traffic violation counts the same as getting a ticket. If an officer doesn’t think what you’ve done is serious enough to warrant a ticket, why should it affect your score?? The whole system is set up by pencil pushers behind desks who have no idea what life is like as a driver.
ironage says
And they think the driver shortage is bad NOW? Just wait…
Tim says
As a driver be safe on all accounts slow your azz down and be alert 4 years counting with zero violations