New CSA Data Paints a Troubling Portrait of the State of Trucking Safety
There are more commercial carriers on the road, and a large proportion of them have been flagged for fatigued driving. Yet, the government's failure to react could make legal action your best bet.
May 23, 2012
In 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began implementation of the Compliance, Safety and Accountability, or CSA, program. Among other things, CSA involves the gathering of trucking industry data. Much of this data pertains to safety compliance, and the latest set of findings released in May, 2012, is indicative of the current state of trucking safety.More Trucking Operations, and More than a Third Have Fatigued Driving Incidents
Do more independent trucking operations translate into more tractor trailer accidents? Only time will tell for certain, but the CSA data is clear that in early 2012 the number of active, for-hire commercial carriers is skyrocketing. In February of 2011, there were 155,240 carriers registered in the CSA database; by April of 2012, the number had grown to 166,810, a 7.5 percent increase in just over a year.
Beyond the sheer volume of trucks on the road, the new CSA data points to another growing threat among truckers: fatigued driving. Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Category scores, or BASIC scores for short, are a CSA tool meant to track carrier performance. Of those carriers with visible BASIC scores in April 2012, 34 percent have a fatigued driving alert, generally as the result of an hours of service violation.
Despite these threatening numbers, CSA 2010 is still in its infancy, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is not completely certain of what to do with the information that is pouring in. Research on the CSA and its impact on the trucking industry, drivers themselves and the law enforcement community is currently ongoing: the American Transportation Research Institute launched its second annual survey on the subject May 7. In the future, the CSA, BASIC scores and the related regulatory framework will hopefully lead to more real world safety improvements for the transportation industry; at the moment, however, the information being gathered may be best looked at as an accounting of the scope of safety problems.
Involved in a Trucking Accident? Reach Out for Legal Help
Although the government is still working out the kinks of CSA 2010, if a trucking accident has affected your life, you are not without recourse. If you have been injured in a truck accident, or if a family member was killed, you may be entitled to compensation from the at-fault driver or his or her employer. Contact a truck accident lawyer today to learn more about your rights.
Article provided by O'Connor, O'Connor, Bresee & First, P.C.
Visit us at www.upstatenyautoaccidentinjurylaw.com