Big Safety Changes in 2010: A Primer -- part 2 of 4
By Jason McGlone, staff writer
Jul 29, 2010 - 8:02:53 AM
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In the first
installment of this series, we offered a somewhat broad overview of what
CSA 2010 proposes to do in terms of changing the overall safety
standards. In this installment, we’re going to look at what those
changes mean for drivers.
CSA 2010’s changes will be
significant and somewhat sweeping for drivers, especially in that many
of these changes are things that drivers haven’t had to deal with
before. Specifically, for the first time, drivers will be assigned and
expect- ed to maintain a safety record that will follow them no matter
what company they work for, how many companies they work for, and for
how long they work. The safety record is dictated by how the driver
drives--accidents, tickets, roadside inspections, and maybe warning
tickets will impact the driver’s record. One feature of CSA 2010 is that
driver pay could be affected with positive or negative safety records,
though I haven’t seen much detail about this feature and its rules.
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The driver safety record, as I noted, will be measured according to how safely the driver drives and how safe his or her vehicle is. These levels of safety will be measured according to standards I discussed in part 1 of this series, BASICS (Behavior Analysis & Safety Improvement Categories). In part 1, I offered a general overview--here, we’ll take a look at how BASICS apply specifically to drivers.
UNSAFE DRIVING:
This criterion is measured by reviewing traffic violations for speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, inattention, and other similar issues.
Driver Fitness: FMCSA measures driver fitness by ensuring that the driver has a valid commercial driver’s license and by reviewing crash reports for information relating to a lack of experience or medical limitations as a cause or contributing factor to the crash.
FATIGUED DRIVING:
Fatigued driving is measured by reviewing hours-of-service violations and by reviewing crash reports for driver fatigue as a cause or contributing factor.
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE/ ALCOHOL:
This criterion is measured by FMCSA by reviewing roadside inspections data for controlled substances/alcohol violations, by reviewing crash reports for controlled substances/alcohol data, and by collecting drug and alcohol tests on drivers.
CRASH INDICATOR:
High numbers of crashes and data on crashes are collected by FMCSA from law enforcement crash reports.
Vehicle Maintenance: Maintenance will be measured according to roadside inspection data for brakes, lights, and other mechanical defects; by reviewing crash reports for data regarding mechanical failure; and by reviewing compliance review data for violations regarding pre- trip inspections and maintenance and repair records.
IMPROPER CARGO LOADING/ PARTS SECUREMENT:
FMCSA will review data in roadside inspection reports for violations relating to parts securement, hazmat handling, and cargo retention; they’ll also look at crash reports for information regarding shifting loads and/or dropped cargo.
So, once the data is collected, what hap- pens to the driver? Any violations would apply to the driver’s safety record, which has three “grades:” “Continue to operate,” “Marginal,” and “Unfit.” If the driver qualifies as “Marginal,” FMCSA interventions take place, and depending upon severity, these can vary from road- side inspections to warning letters to claim settlements. Of course, if a driver is deemed “Unfit,” this situation would result in a suspension.
Next question: how does FMCSA determine the severity of a violation? The simplest way to put it is to say that it’s pretty complicated. FMCSA has a weight chart for each BASIC as well as types of violation within those categories. In a summary of these violation weights at http://www.csa2010.com, it’s noted that the weights are scaled from one to 10, with 10 being the most severe. It’s these charts that will be used in safety evaluations and, depending upon a driver’s score, how appropriate interventions for violations will be determined. You can see the weight charts for yourself at http://bit.ly/txDas.
The one remaining question is this: How do I keep a good safety record as a driver? CSA2010.com does have some tips for drivers and how they can make sure that they keep their safety records in the clear. These are:
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Don’t speed. “35% of roadside inspections are triggered by speed. By not speeding, you will avoid a speeding ticket and a roadside inspection.”
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Make sure your brake lights and tires are in good shape. “31% of roadside inspections are triggered by observable defects (brakes, lights and tires). Make sure you do thorough and routine pre-trip component inspections. Don’t make yourself a target for a roadside inspection!”
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Keep learning. “Participate in as much safety training as you can. The more you learn and re-enforce safe driving behavior the better driver you will become. Make sure you maintain a top driver safety rating and you will ensure a successful career as a professional driver.”
The short answer here is that s/he should be mindful of safety--and the rules of CSA 2010. No matter how complicated the policies and procedures of the new rules are, they all boil down to fairly simple principles that have been in practice for decades.
More information available at csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov
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