Evaluation of the CSA 2010 operational model test

Abstract

In accordance with its primary mission to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiated the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 (CSA 2010) Operational Model Test. The program focused on initiating contact with more carriers and drivers, development of a new measurement system to replace Motor Carrier Safety Status Measurement System (SafeStat), application of a wider range of progressive interventions to correct high-risk behavior, and more efficient use of Agency resources. The test ran for 29 months from February 2008 through June 2010. This report is an evaluation of the CSA 2010 Operational Model Test. The evaluation focuses on key components of the model. In particular, measurement system thresholds exceeded in type and frequency, interventions received in type and frequency, and the number and percentage of carriers touched under the new model are calculated and reported. Intervention cycles and patterns are explored and effectiveness of interventions is determined by comparing test carriers that received CSA 2010 interventions to control carriers that did not. Costs to the agency of performing interventions are investigated and compared to the current process of conducting compliance reviews (CRs). The new Safety Measurement System (SMS) that is used to rank a carrier’s safety performance in the seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) is evaluated by assessing associations between percentile scores and crash rates. Comparisons with the current model under SafeStat are reported and quality of the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) data files is discussed. Finally, results from a survey completed by field staff participating in the Operational Model Test is presented to determine which aspects of CSA 2010 worked well and which did not.