CSA safety measurement system display changes now available for review

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Within each CSA SMS category, FMCSA has added graphs illustrating the relationship between percentile rankings (primary BASIC “scores” of the current display) and the absolute BASIC measure to give users a clear indication of where FMCSA sets its thresholds for intervention. Carriers can use their DOT-issued PIN to log in to the preview via this site. The publicly-accessible preview is available here.Within each CSA SMS category, FMCSA has added graphs illustrating the relationship between percentile rankings (primary BASIC “scores” of the current display) and the absolute BASIC measure to give users a clear indication of where FMCSA sets its thresholds for intervention. Carriers can use their DOT-issued PIN to log in to the preview via this site. The publicly-accessible preview is available here.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced a 60-day preview period of several changes to the display of carrier data and scoring metrics available to the public via the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program’s Safety Measurement System website. Attendant to the preview, FMCSA requests comments on the changes from stakeholders as well as the public. 

The comment period begins Nov. 5, 2013. Written comments regarding the changes can be filed in the Federal Docket Management System via regulations.gov referencing Docket ID Number FMCSA-2013-26543. 

By fax: (202) 493-2251.

By mail or hand delivery: Docket Management Facility, (M-30), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Room 12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.

FMCSA says it will review comments and make any necessary changes prior to implementation.

As part of the display changes proposed, FMCSA has removed numerical rankings from carrier summary pages in the SMS. The public status of the individual BASICs, however, has not changed, something some industry representatives on the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee had expressed support for in meetings leading into the current display-changes proposal.As part of the display changes proposed, FMCSA has removed numerical rankings from carrier summary pages in the SMS. The public status of the individual BASICs, however, has not changed, something some industry representatives on the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee had expressed support for in meetings leading into the current display-changes proposal.

The proposed redesign is intended to advance FMCSA’s safety mission by making important information easier to understand for motor carriers who want to improve their safety performance and for public users interested in FMCSA data. A summary of some of the changes follows. 

**Motor carriers’ Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) percentile rankings are being moved from the front summary to within the drill-down pages for each BASIC. A carrier’s summary page will display “a summary BASIC status to better clarify if a motor carrier’s performance in the individual BASICs causes it to be prioritized for an intervention. 

Three online seminars to go over changes | FMCSA will host the following three educational webinars for the public addressing the proposed enhancements to the SMS public website (all times EST). Registration information is available via this page. 

1) Monday, November 18, 12-1:30 p.m. 
2) Thursday, November 21, 1:30-3 p.m. 
3) Friday, November 22, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. 

**The display of the BASICs will be reordered based on each category’s correlation to crash rates, with the BASICs with the strongest associations — Unsafe Driving, Hours of Service Compliance, FMCSA says — at the left. 

**Every motor carrier’s individual performance measure in each BASIC — the safety performance number that is not relative to other carriers — will be highlighted to help users more clearly identify performance trends over time. The measure is based on computational results of the carrier’s roadside inspections or crashes. 

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**Carrier safety rating information gleaned as a result of a compliance review will be displayed prominently. Previously, users had to go to FMCSA’s Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System (SAFER) Website to access such data. 

**A new “Take a Tour” feature highlights enhancements to the SMS display and show visitors how to use the site.

**Each carrier’s safety event group, the comparative groups used to compute carrier BASIC percentile rankings, will be accessible to website users via a download of the data for all of the carriers. 

**Current insurance and authority status will be included. Previously, users had to access FMCSA’s Licensing and Insurance Online website. 

**Carriers’ enforcement case history, including the date the case was closed, the applicable violations, and the associated fines, will be accessible to users. 

**Ehancement of the display of safety performance over time through a variety of displays and graphs users can customize.  

**Clarifying terminology in the SMS, such as the definitions of the terms “0%” and
“<3 inspections with violations,” is included in a new glossary “SMS Display Key
Terms” glossary.

A posting of the Federal Register Notice outlining the changes is available for review here. 

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