In early August, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration changed how it determines which motor carriers are subject to the Hazardous Materials intervention threshold. As a truck accident attorney, I view this as good news.
The agency has trucking safety limits for all carriers, but the rules are stricter for vehicles transporting flammable, toxic, or otherwise hazardous substances. The hazmat intervention threshold used to apply to any carrier with a registration form showing it moved any amount of hazardous materials.
The new, lower threshold applies when a carrier meets one of these criteria:
- It holds a hazmat permit;
- A review or safety audit in the past two years shows it transported a placardable quantity of hazardous materials (usually 1,001 pounds or more);
- An inspection in the past two years finds it transported a placardable quantity of hazardous materials.
The FMCSA says the new standard will help improve trucking safety by boosting how accurately it identifies vehicles carrying hazardous materials, which can make truck accidents even more dangerous.
