The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the top federal government agency that is in charge of regulating and stipulating safety guidelines for U.S. transportation for commercial vehicles. Commercial motor vehicles include bus companies, commercial truck companies along with those who operate rigs with their commercial drivers license (CDL). Because of the high volume of commercial motor vehicles on the roadways, regulations and standards must be outlined and rigidly enforced due to an increased risk of accidents. On a strong, unified level, FMCSA works with Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) on a mission to share safety and accident information as to reduce fatalities, accidents, and injuries on the roads that involve large rigs and buses.
Utilizing Statistics to Oversee Safety on U.S. Roadways
The FMCSA obtains statistics on accidents and provides all the data to SAFER. The information is then categorized by “interstate” motor carrier data and a few state’s “intrastate” data that is available to the public. SAFER provides electronic links to include the following:
Licensing and Insurance- This provides information on motor carriers in regard to their license and insurance for transporting goods on the roadways. Motor carriers must complete an OP1form (application for Motor Proper Carrier and Broker Authority), secure a DOT# along with a second MC#. Prior to 12/16/2019, those truck drivers that only have a DOT# will not have any information in this particular link.
Company Snapshot- This link provides valuable information to the public in regard to accident information, motor carrier size, company identification, safety records, and all inspection results for each motor carrier. The electronic data is secured by enforcement officers who have investigated and then submitted to the FMCSA. From there, it is forwarded to SAFER and provided on this link.
Analysis and Information (A&I)- Information found in the Analysis and Information (A&I) link is similar to Company Snapshot but is more informative. All motor carriers having a DOT# can be found in this link along with concise road activities provided by the enforcement officers that include, but not limited to:
- Inspection Findings (passed and failed)
- Safety Results on the Company and Drivers
- Customized Reports on Accidents
- Exact Crash-Site Location(s)
The MCSA-1/MCS150 documents give insight to each motor carrier profile which assists in insurance review.
Increasing Public Awareness to Share Roads
Increasing public awareness of sharing roads by the FMCSA and SAFER is all part of the mission to decrease accidents and fatalities on U.S. roadways. The collective operational data is a way to assess problem areas and find solutions to safer traveling for everyone. Burkett & Associates Insurance Agency understands all of your insurance needs and can assist you with any concerns or issues you may have regarding FMCSA and SAFER. Feel free to contact our offices TODAY at 256-704-7400.
