FMCSA Seeking Accident Record Keeping from Carriers

On August 8th via a Federal Register Announcement explained that the FMCSA is not compiling a data base that must have all motor accidents submitted to, but rather the data must be managed by carriers themselves and produced to all inquiring federal, state and local officials upon request.

The FMCSA said, "This Information Collection Request supports the Department of Transportation strategic goal of safety. By requiring motor carriers to gather and record information concerning commercial motor vehicle accidents, FMCSA is strengthening its ability to assess the safety performance of motor carriers. This information is a valuable resource in agency initiatives to prevent, and reduce the severity of, CMV crashes.”

While the FMCSA announced the plan, it must still be approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget to go into effect.

The accident record keeping will need to include:

• Date
• Location
• Driver Name
• Number of Fatalities
• Hazmat Incident Report
• Number of Injuries
• Insurers Accident Reports

Following the accident, the record-keeping must be made available to agency audits for 3-years following the date of the accident.

The American Trucking Association advised that this is largely being monitored already, and is common standard for the majority of carriers because of the DOT.  The accidents that are required to be recorded are only those containing bodily injury, a fatality at the accident, or the requirement of a tow truck transport.

The National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) advised the FMCSA in 2019 that they would benefit greater using actual Police Accident Reports because they will be more accurate and display a more neutral perspective of the motor carriers safety practice. The reality is gathering data from all parties may result in a more nuanced level of detail if an event needs to be investigated further.