FMCSA seeks feedback on using police report data to determine crash risk
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Washington – A conversation has developed regarding the best way to evaluate commercial motor vehicle drivers for future crash risk.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced Jan. 21 that it is seeking public input on how to best measure crash data based on a driver’s role in an incident. FMCSA now takes into account all crash data from the past two years, regardless of whether the carrier or another driver was at fault.
The agency said it would launch a study to determine:
- Whether police reports provide sufficient information to support determinations about weighting crash information
- Whether using police reports would provide a stronger predictor of future crash risk than the current method
- How FMCSA might manage and support such a process
The announcement of the upcoming study drew criticism from the Arlington, VA-based American Trucking Associations, which described the move as a “delay.”
“Numerous times over the past five years, ATA has respectfully requested FMCSA to screen out crashes from [its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program] where it is plainly evident the professional truck driver and motor carrier were not at fault,” ATA Executive Vice President Dave Osiecki said in a press release.