The FMCSA Crash Data Collection Training are web-based materials intended to be an educational resource for law enforcement officers, CMV inspection authorities, accident investigation trainers, and State Department of Transportation accident records developers and users. The training consists of five lessons and additional "hot topics":

LESSONS:

• Lesson 1: Selection Criteria - Crashes involving commercial motor vehicles and some non-commercial motor vehicles should be reported on a State’s crash report and to the FMCSA. A commercial motor vehicle is any motor vehicle used on a traffic way for the transportation of goods, property or people in interstate or intrastate commerce.


• Lesson 2: Motor Carrier Identification - The FMCSA has the authority to fine and sanction unsafe interstate truck and bus companies. These numbers are used to identify potentially unsafe motor carriers when analyzing crash data. The identification number (found on the power unit, and assigned by the U.S. DOT or by a State) is a key element in the FMCSA databases for both carrier safety and regulatory purposes.


• Lesson 3: Vehicle Configuration / Cargo Body Type - Provides information about the general size and design of the motor vehicle. This element is important to evaluate the types of motor vehicles that have the most crashes and the effectiveness of various safety countermeasures. As well, a description of the vehicle's primary cargo carrying capability, it provides additional information about the motor vehicle. The information it provides can be important in helping FMCSA make decisions on regulatory strategies for different types of motor vehicles.


• Lesson 4: Crash Events - FMCSA's SAFETYNET Crash Module records qualifying vehicles involved in crashes that are motor vehicle traffic accidents by definition as defined in the ANSI D-16 Manual on the Classification of Motor Vehicle Traffic Accidents. The Selection Criteria is applied to determine reportability of vehicles involved in motor vehicle traffic accidents. To satisfy the definition of a motor vehicle traffic accident, the crash must not be the result of a deliberate act (suicide, police intervention) or a cataclysm (hurricane, flood).


• Lesson 5: Hazardous Materials - For safety purposes, FMCSA requires any vehicle placarded for hazardous materials involved in a crash to be recorded on the crash report and reported via SAFETYNET. When placarded, this includes vehicles such as passenger cars or light trucks that would not qualify by size alone. Hazardous materials refers to any substance or material which has been determined to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety and property when transported in commerce.

• Identifying a Carrier - The Carrier Identification topic provides materials to assist in capturing the correct carrier name, DOT number, and address.


• Developing the Police Accident Report (PAR) - The PAR Guidance area provides information related to the collection of truck and bus data reported to FMCSA’s SAFETYNET to States that are currently revising or planning to revise their police accident report.


• Determining Weight - GCWR Details (Gross Combined Weight Rating) provide information on correctly obtaining the weight of the vehicle.


• Reporting Government Vehicles - The Government Vehicles topic provides information on correctly obtaining the details for government vehicles.


• Reporting Rental Vehicles - Rental Vehicles provides information on correctly obtaining the details for "non-commercial" vehicles, including, but not limited to, rented and leased vehicles.