On July 23, 2012, FMCSA announced that it will be determining a process to update the 100,000 State-reported crash records annually to include a determination of the motor carrier’s role in the crash. Currently, there is no determination as to whether or not the motor carrier is responsible for the crash, rather any and all crashes that a motor carrier is involved in are reflected in the scores regardless of fault.
It has been recognized that by determining fault in the crash the FMCSA may further highlight those motor carriers with the highest risk of a crash. The analysis will include the following key steps:
- A broad study of police accident reports across the nation to determine whether they provide sufficient, consistent, and reliable information that can be used to determine the carrier’s role in a given crash and what other information, including input from other entities in the outcome of a crash determination should be used to supplement a police accident report for maximum reliability;
- FMCSA will conduct analysis to determine if the carrier’s role in a given crash is a better indicator of future crash risk. If so, the analysis will determine the impact of weighting crashes differently in SMS; and
- Throughout this analysis, research will also be reviewed from similar programs in other countries (e.g., Canada) to understand their analysis, processes and applicability to SMS.
It is anticipated the results of the study will be available in the summer of 2013. The results of the study will help to determine FMCSA’s plan for determining a motor carrier’s role in a crash and the potential use of such information in SMS and other FMCSA safety programs.