CSA 2010 Most Frequently Asked Questions!

This a compilation of questions that were developed to assist the public with basic questions about CSA 2010. As questions come in through the website, they, along with their answers, are added to the database. If you don’t see your question or topic addressed, please contact us by submitting a feedback. We will respond to you directly and consider your question for inclusion in FAQs.

• When Does CSA 2010 Go Into Effect? Answer

• New Faq's on Improvements to the Safety Measurement System Methodology:

1. What is CSA 2010? Answer

2. How are the Safety Measurement System (SMS) scores calculated? How often will it be updated and how far back do violations count? Answer

3. What are the Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs)? Which violations correspond to which BASIC? Answer

4. Why is CSA 2010 being implemented? Answer

5. What is the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) and when does it start? Answer

6. How does the Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) process work and who can use PSP? Answer

7. Will CSA 2010 assign safety ratings to individual CMV drivers? I heard that CSA 2010 is designed to rate CMV drivers and to put many of them out of work this summer? Answer

8. What is the CSA 2010 Operational Model? Answer

9. How does a driver’s violation history impact a carrier’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) evaluation? Answer

10. Will the Safety Measurement System (SMS) data be available to the public? How will Analysis & Information (A&I) Online change under CSA 2010? Answer

11. How do I determine if a violation will count against a carrier or driver or both? Answer

12. ill the Listening Session PowerPoint presentations be available for me to download and use? How will Listening Session questions that were submitted be answered and where can I get the information? Answer

13. How does an investigation work? Answer

14. What are the intervention thresholds for drivers? Answer

15. How does the process of investigating drivers work? Answer

16. Where can I find more specific information about measurements for specific BASICs? Answer

17. Describe the serious driver violations that sometimes are called “Red Flag Violations”? Answer

18. What are the driver interventions? Answer

19. How will drivers, carriers, and the public be notified about driver Notice of Violations (NOVs) and Notice of Claims (NOCs)? Answer

20. If my BASIC measurements go up what will happen? Answer

21. How will the Safety Measurement System (SMS) handle crashes when motor carriers are not at fault? Answer

22. Why were power units (PUs) used rather than vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as the measure of exposure for the Crash Indicator, Unsafe Driving, and Controlled Substances/Alcohol Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) in the Safety Measurement System (SMS)? * This has been updated to reflect the possible changes to add traveled miles into the equation. Answer

23. Can you describe the process carriers or drivers use to contest any potentially erroneous or improper violations on their record? Answer

24. In the proposed new methodology, how can an Unfit carrier return to service? Answer

25. I have heard a lot about a Driver Safety Measurement System (DSMS) and want to know what it is and who will have access to it? Answer

26. What determines Unfit in terms of process and score for carriers? Answer

27. How will the proposed Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) handle reportable crashes? Answer

28. Where do clean inspections come into play in the CSA 2010 Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASIC) measurement? Up Are they included in the “number of time weighted relevant inspections” formula? If so, are all clean inspection rated the same, or do different levels deserve a higher positive BASIC assessment. For example, are Level I clean inspections rated more positive than Level III? Answer

29. Can you explain how peer groups work in the new Safety Measurement System (SMS)? Answer

30. What is the Driver Safety Measurement System (DSMS)? Answer

31. Appendix A in the SMS Methodology lists all violations and the corresponding “violation points”. Does the column showing “driver responsibility” mean both driver and carrier will be assessed points or just the driver? Answer

32. If I am a carrier currently in one of the nine Test States (CO, DE, GA, KS, MD, MN, MO, MT, NJ) and in the test group in that State, how can I see my Safety Measurement System (SMS) data? Answer

33. In 2010, is the system going to merge the old Safety Evaluation Area (SEA) values and the new BASICs or is the system going to use Safety Measurement System (SMS) methodology for the past 24 months (including 2009 data)—how is that going to work? Answer

34. If I’m not in one of the nine current Test States or in the control group for one of the four original Test States (CO, GA, MO, NJ), how can I see my Safety Measurement System (SMS) data? Answer

35. Will the severity weightings in the Safety Measurement System be subject to formal public comment during the Safety Fitness Determination rulemaking? Answer

36. What’s the difference between SafeStat and the new Safety Measurement System? Answer

37. Describe the process of how an intervention is selected, including: what are the carrier Safety Measurement System (SMS) thresholds that trigger the interventions? Answer

38. How have roadside inspections been improved for CSA 2010 in terms of uniformity? Answer

39. Why is there no driver rating? Why aren’t drivers more accountable? Answer

40. Will there be more CSA 2010 outreach events? Answer

41. What if my question was not answered in this document? Answer

42. What is different between a Compliance Review and CSA 2010 Interventions? Answer

43. Will the severity weights in the Safety Measurement System (SMS) change and can stakeholders comment on them? Answer

44. Are inspections without regulatory violations noted submitted to the FMCSA and do they count in the Carrier Safety Measurement System? Answer

45. What is a “clean inspection”? Answer

46. What is the Operational Model Test? Answer

47. How can I, as a commercial motor vehicle carrier, prepare for CSA 2010? Answer

48. To whom are warning letters sent, by whom, and what are the contents of the letter and the expectations for a carrier’s response? Answer

49. How will CSA 2010 impact motor carriers and drivers? Answer

50. Do roadside inspections completed in states not in the Operational Model test affect the CSA 2010 safety ratings of carriers from Operational Model test states? Answer

51. How can I, as a driver, prepare for CSA 2010? Answer

52. Why does the Safety Measurement System (SMS) hold carriers responsible for drivers’ errors, such as speeding? Answer

53. What is the proposed approach for Safety Fitness Determination (SFD) and why is it not part of the Operational Model test? Answer

54. How will you implement CSA 2010 in the rest of the country? Answer

55. How can I log into the FMCSA Portal? Answer

56. What are the carrier interventions? Answer

57. When will CSA 2010 start using the driver component of the new Safety Measurement System (SMS)? Answer

58. What are the results of the Operational Model (Op-Model) Test? Answer

59. When does a carrier intervention take place? Answer

60. Can a carrier or driver appeal a DataQs ruling? Answer

61. If my violation is thrown out in court, can I get it removed from my Safety Measurement System (SMS) record? How? Answer

62. How have roadside inspections been improved, including getting states to upload their inspections faster? Answer

63. How long does a carrier remain in the CSA 2010 intervention process? Answer

64. Will there be a grace period between when the Safety Measurement System (SMS) rolls out and when it is used to prioritize carriers for the new interventions in order to allow carriers to improve their scores? Answer

65. Do tickets or warnings that drivers receive while operating their personal vehicles impact the new Safety Measurement System (SMS)? Answer

66. Since warnings for speeding count in the Safety Measurement System (SMS), what can a carrier or driver do if they feel like they received an unwarranted speeding warning ticket? Answer

67. The Safety Measurement System (SMS) methodology document states that a carrier can receive no more than 30 severity points in a single inspection. If a carrier has more than 30 severity points, which points are carried over to SMS? Answer

68. Can you explain the research behind the Safety Measurement System (SMS) violation severity weightings? Answer

69. When will SMS stop flagging me? Answer

70. How will the change from SafeStat to the new Safety Measurement System (SMS) impact how roadside inspectors select carriers for inspection? Answer

71. Will FMCSA place carriers into different peer groups, or weight carriers’ violations and crashes differently in different geographical areas? Answer

72. Why does the new Safety Measurement System hold drivers accountable for things carriers should be responsible for, such as vehicle maintenance? Answer

73. How will carriers gain access to CSA 2010 data? Will we be able to view other companies’ safety scores? Answer

74. What is CSI and how do I get a PIN to access CSI? Answer

75. Will motor carriers be able log into the CSA 2010 system with a PIN to see additional data? Answer

76. Will the crash indicator be available for public view? Answer

77. Under CSA 2010, will detailed information still be available in each safety evaluation area (SEA)? Answer

78. Will motor carriers and the public have access to a website similar to that of SafeStat? Answer

79. How does compliance help my business? Answer

80. What information is available to help me achieve compliance? Answer

81. As extensive users of SafeStat, what will trucking-related businesses such as insurance companies and collections agencies use instead of SafeStat scores? Answer

82. Will you work with carriers and drivers that are having minor problems? Answer

83. How long do I have to get into compliance? Answer

84. Will motor carriers be notified of drivers with poor safety records? Answer

85. Are there any plans for notifications to be sent to drivers who are identified with safety deficiencies? Answer

86. Is there going to be an enforcement case? Am I going to be fined? Answer

87. What is the “Driver Safety Measurement System” and who can see it? Answer

88. What kinds of driver safety performance data is CSA 2010 looking at? Answer

89. Will roadside inspectors use the Inspection Selection System (ISS) to select carriers CSA 2010? Answer

90. I have heard that FMCSA will make driver safety performance histories available to carriers for pre-employment screening in the near future. Is that true and is that part of the CSA 2010 driver program? Answer

91. Can you describe the CSA 2010 Driver Safety Enforcement process? Answer

92. Do individual CMV drivers get an individual driver safety rating under CSA 2010? Answer

93. Will citations play a role in the BASICs or carrier ISS algorithm? For example, a driver has a violation for torn strap (10 points) and receives a citation; does the citation add anything to the carrier’s BASIC or ISS scores? Answer

94. How will CSA 2010 address accurate and timely reporting of recordable crashes? Answer

95. Why does FMCSA’s new CSA 2010 program emphasize driver safety enforcement? Answer

96. If a vehicle is in a crash, and has a post-crash examination conducted which finds several Out-of-Service (OOS) violations as a result of the crash – do each of those count against the appropriate BASIC? Answer

97. How will CSA 2010 address the issue of non-preventable crashes? Answer

98. Does crash preventability factor into anything? Will the new system improve crash data or will industry be assessed on same poor data? Answer

99. What is the detailed process for drivers to contest information contained on their driver records? Answer

100. The crash BASIC references accident accountability. Does this mean that the accident report will be reviewed to indicate who was at fault? Answer

101. What is a Cooperative Safety Plan (CSP)? Do we have to develop a CSP? Answer

102. Does it matter if the CSP is filled out electronically or handwritten? Answer

103. Was there a listening session in 2009 concerning the CSA 2010 conversion? How can I get additional information? Answer

104. Is the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program still going to exist, and if so, what is the connection between the new systems? Answer

105. Will all motor carriers with safety deficiencies get a warning letter before they hear anything else from FMCSA? Is CSA 2010 introducing a truly progressive intervention process? Answer

106. Do you have a safety consultant that you can recommend? Answer

107. Will drivers with safety deficiencies get warning letters? Answer

108. How does a driver’s violation history impact a carrier’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) evaluation? Answer