Supplemental analysis for strategies to reduce CMV–involved crashes, fatalities and injuries in Michigan: Driver records and crash involvement

Abstract

This research sought to identify differences in safety records of drivers who had undergone the training required to hold commercial drivers licenses, and to see if previous offenses and crashes in a CDL drivers record were reasonable indicators of future offenses and crashes. Crash and offense rates from the Michigan Driver Database from 2001-2005 of CDL drivers and non-CDL drivers were compared; crashes and offenses from 2006-2007 were compared across groups of CDL drivers based on their crash and offense records from 2001-2005; and driver records from the Michigan Driver Database were matched with CMV crash records from the Michigan Vehicle Crash data file from 2001-2005, to compare circumstances of CMV crashes of CDL drivers to those of drivers of CMVs that do not require a CDL. Previous offenses and crashes in CDL drivers’ records were reasonable indicators of future offenses and crashes. CDL drivers who had no crashes or no crashes or offenses in the prior period also had the lowest crash involvement for crashes of all severities in the after period. Among crash-involved CMV drivers, non-CDL holders had significantly higher rates of coded hazardous actions than CDL holders. They also had poor prior driving records in terms of prior offenses, serious offenses, and alcohol-related crashes. CDL holders had slightly higher average numbers of prior crash involvements. The findings of this research can be useful to the CDL program to identify critical safety factors, and to the trucking industry to improve driver hiring, training, and retention policies.