Data Source Definitions |
Border Data:
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NAFTA Safety Stats uses border data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
Border crossing data are collected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and provided to BTS on
a monthly basis. Border trade data are collected by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, and provided to BTS on a monthly basis.
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Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS)†:
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The FARS is a census of crashes involving any motor vehicle on a trafficway, but only fatal crashes. It is generally considered to be
the most reliable national crash database. A large truck is defined in the FARS as a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
of more than 10,000 pounds. A bus is defined in the FARS as large motor vehicles used to carry more than 10 passengers, including
school buses, inter-city buses and transit buses. FARS is maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
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General Estimates System (GES):
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GES is a probability-based nationally representative sample of all police-reported fatal, injury, and property damage only crashes. The data from GES yield national estimates, calculated using a weighting procedure, but cannot give State-level estimates. Also, GES is a sample of motor vehicle crashes, and the results generated are estimates. The GES definition of a large truck is the same as the FARS definition. GES is maintained by NHTSA.
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Highway Statistics Series:
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The Highway Statistics Series consists of annual reports containing analyzed statistical data on motor fuel; motor vehicles; driver licensing; highway-user taxation; State and local government highway finance; highway mileage, and Federal aid for highways. The series is used for tracking the road mileage in the United States, financing information for the various states, and is used in formulation with FHWA's apportionment of Federal funds to the States by the U.S. Congress. A large truck is defined by FHWA as all vehicles on a single frame including trucks, camping and recreational vehicles, etc. having at least two axles and six tires. A bus is defined by FHWA as all vehicles manufactured as traditional passenger-carrying buses with two axles, six tires and three or more axles. This category includes only traditional buses (including school buses) functioning as passenger-carrying vehicles. The Highway Statistics Series is maintained by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
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Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS)†:
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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) operates and maintains the Motor Carrier Management
Information System (MCMIS). MCMIS contains information
on the safety fitness of commercial motor carriers and
hazardous material (HM) shippers subject to the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMRs). MCMIS is a collection of safety
information including state-reported crashes, compliance
review and roadside inspections results, enforcement data,
and motor carrier census data.
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MCMIS Census Data:
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The MCMIS Census data contains records for several hundred thousand active entities, i.e., motor carriers, hazardous materials shippers, and registrants (entities who register vehicles but are not carriers). In order to identify each entity, MCMIS assigns a unique number to each entity record. This number is referred to as the record census number. This is also the number supplied to an entity as their USDOT number.
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MCMIS Compliance Review Data:
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The MCMIS Compliance Review data used in this section includes carrier performance and compliance data regarding FMCSRs and HMRs which are captured during an on-site compliance review (CR). CR data contains the number of drivers and power units, carrier safety ratings, number of recordable accidents, and the number and types of acute, critical, and other violations discovered during a CR.
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MCMIS Crash Data:
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The MCMIS Crash data includes crashes that are reported by states to the FMCSA through the SAFETYNET computer reporting system.
The Crash File includes the National Governors' Association (NGA) recommended data elements collected on trucks and buses involved
in crashes that meet the NGA recommended crash threshold. An NGA reportable crash must involve a truck (a vehicle designed, used,
or maintained primarily for carrying property, with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of more than
10,000 lbs.) or bus (a vehicle with seats for at least nine people, including the driver). The crash must result in at least one
fatality; one injury where the person injured is taken to a medical facility for immediate medical attention; or one vehicle having been
towed from the scene as a result of disabling damage suffered in the crash.
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MCMIS Inspection Data:
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The MCMIS Inspection data contains information captured at a Roadside Inspection (RI). This data includes the type of inspection conducted (inspection level), the number of driver and vehicle violations, and Out of Service (OOS) violations resulting from RIs. The inspection also provides the vehicle size and identification, driver information, and the date and location of the inspection.
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Enforcement Management Information System (EMIS):
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EMIS is a web-based application
used to monitor, track, and store information related to FMCSA
enforcement actions. It manages and tracks all data associated with
notifying the carrier, monitoring the carrier's response, determining
whether further compliance action is required, and generating reports
for various Headquarters, Service Center , and Division staff. It is
the authoritative source for FMCSA enforcement data. Inputs include
data from CaseRite and data entry.
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Hazardous Materials Package Inspection Program (HMPIP):
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HMPIP is a browser-based application used during dock and vehicle inspections to record
compliance problems with hazardous material packages. It can operate as a stand alone
client or via a central site. Data collected while offline is moved to the central site
when a network connection is available. Data collected using HMPIP will be used to establish
shipper prioritization lists.
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† Neither FARS nor MCMIS databases contain information on crash causation or fault. The data can be only suggestive about why truck and bus crashes occur. Even so, the data can point toward problem areas that may need to be addressed, and toward possible countermeasures.
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