CSA misses mark, ATA tells Congressional subcommittee

An ATA representative told Congressmen that CSA scores are not a reliable indicator of crash risk and that the program should focus on the least safe carriers.

The Trucker News Services

9/13/2012

ARLINGTON, Va. — In testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, American Trucking Associations again called for changes to make the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program better able to achieve its stated goals.

“ATA has been supportive of the objective of CSA, to reduce commercial motor vehicle crashes, injuries and fatalities, since the program’s inception. However, ATA has significant concerns with the program in its current form,” said Scott Mugno, vice president of safety for FedEx Ground Package System, on behalf of ATA.

Mugno cited issues in data weakness that prevent FMCSA from having enough information to properly evaluate carriers, as well as methodology issues that count all crashes — regardless of preventability — against a carrier, as among the most significant issues with CSA.

“First, FMCSA must acknowledge that CSA scores are often not a reliable predictor of future crash risk. Second, the agency must confirm that CSA’s highest priority should be to focus on the least safe carriers. And finally,” he said, “FMCSA must establish a specific plan to develop and implement the changes necessary to ensure that the system functions as intended.”

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