The seasons won’t be the only thing changing this December. A new safety ratings program designed to increase safety on our nation’s highways is coming as well, bringing with it changes that will impact the daily travels of truck drivers nationwide.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced earlier this year changes to its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, most notably to its Cargo-Related Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category. The CSA program will be renamed the Hazardous MaterialsAny item or agent (biological, chemical, physical) that has the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment, either by itself or through interaction with other factors. Can be referred to as HAZMAT. Compliance BASIC, a program that will score motor carriers on a variety of safety factors.
Additional changes call for scrapping the current practice of issuing citations to truck drivers who are pulled over for driving 1 to 5 m.p.h. over the posted speed limit. Under current rules, truck drivers cannot be stopped for an inspection without there being reasonable cause. Truck drivers in Michigan have told me that, in order to justify a stop, officers currently issue a speeding ticket for 1 to 5 m.p.h.
Image by F. Muhammad from Pixabay
Additional changes call for scrapping the current practice of issuing citations to truck drivers who are pulled over for driving 1 to 5 m.p.h. over the posted speed limit. Under current rules, truck drivers cannot be stopped for an inspection without there being reasonable cause. Truck drivers in Michigan have told me that, in order to justify a stop, officers currently issue a speeding ticket for 1 to 5 m.p.h.
Each of these measures are modifications to FMCSA’s BASIC program, which also includes initiatives such as the Vehicle Maintenance BASIC and the Hours-of-Service BASIC. In my view, the changes help FMCSA take a step in the right direction and I applaud the administration for responding to concerns of safety advocates and industry leaders by creating a rating formula that is as fair and accurate as possible.
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Referrals & Co-Counsel
No other law firm knows trucks quite like us. Our trucking law expertise and trial experience allow us to win multi-million-dollar results year after year.
Involved in a Crash?
Our team of truck accident attorneys works tirelessly to help your family find justice in the wake of a catastrophic truck crash.
If you have been injured in an accident with a tractor-trailer, bus or other commercial vehicle, protect your legal rights by contacting an attorney with a proven track-record of truck accident litigation success. Contact personal injuryLegal term for an injury to the body, mind, or psyche, as opposed to an injury to property. attorney Michael Leizerman at 419-243-1010.
