What are CSA Scores and How Do They Affect Your Business?
CSA, which stands for Compliance, Safety, and Accountability, is a system that was put in place by the FMCSA back in 2010. This initiative was intended to improve commercial driver safety and reduce the occurrence of road accidents. Whether you are a commercial driver or an employer, you should ensure you understand how CSA scores work and how they can affect a business.
How Does the CSA Program Work?
The CSA program is an update to the previous enforcement and compliance process used by the FMCSA. This new program consists of three separate sections:
- Measurement
- Evaluation
- Intervention
CSA Measurement
The Safety Measurement System (SMS) is part of the CSA program and is used to determine if a driver is following proper road regulations. The SMS includes a close look at a driver’s on-road safety performance, including any violations. The areas examined, as part of the SMS, includes unsafe driving, hours-of-service compliance, driver fitness, controlled substance or alcohol violations, vehicle maintenance, hazardous material compliance, and crash indicators. By looking at these areas, the CSA can create a CSA score for a driver.
CSA Evaluation
Drivers are then placed into different risk groups based on the CSA score they received as part of the SMS. When a driver has issues that need to review, the next phase of CSA comes into play – the evaluation. With evaluation, the CSA aims to adjust high-risk behavior by directly contacting carriers and drivers.
CSA Intervention
Intervention is a part of the process that is used to collect and evaluate data that can be used to improve road safety. Intervention can also include contacting a driver or carrier, carrying out an investigation into a specific incident, and coming up with a follow-up plan to ensure that corrective measures have been taken.
Business Owners Should Look at CSA Scores
CSA is designed to make better use of the resources available to the FMCSA and increase road safety. If you are business owner, you need to make sure that all of your commercial drivers are following FMCSA regulations and standards. Violating the safety requirements that are measured with the CSA can result in your business being liable for an accident or safety violation. Essentially, you are responsible for ensuring you are hiring DOT qualified commercial drivers.
We hope that you found this information useful. If you have further questions about the CSA initiative and how to ensure your CMV drivers are complying with DOT safety regulations, contact us at Office Tenders today.
