Changes to the Motor Carrier Safety Progress Report - December 31, 2011

I. Use of MCMIS Crash Data

The December 31, 2011 Motor Carrier Safety Progress Report uses the state-reported crash data from the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) for reporting fatalities, injuries, and crashes involving large trucks and buses. Previous reports relied on the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and General Estimates System (GES) data received from NHTSA. The MCMIS crash data are available more quickly than the FARS and GES which typically are not available until sometime between July and December of the year following the crash. MCMIS data also allow information to be reported on a quarterly basis. Since States have 90 days after a crash to report the data to FMCSA, the first report that will provide complete CY 2011 crash data will be the report "as of March 31, 2012." Additional changes to the crash data displayed in the Safety Progress Report result from the differences in how crashes are defined:

Fatal crashes: The MCMIS fatal crash data will differ slightly from FARS because MCMIS uses the gross combination weight rating (GCWR) to determine if a crash should be reported to MCMIS, where FARS uses the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). Thus a truck pulling a trailer where the GCWR is greater than 10,000 pounds would be reported in MCMIS as a large truck crash, but would not in FARS if the GVWR of the truck alone was not greater than 10,000 pounds.

Non-fatal crashes: GES data are estimates based on a sample survey of crashes, whereas MCMIS contains a census of all large truck and bus crashes reported to FMCSA by the States. There are also definitional differences between GES and MCMIS. MCMIS uses the National Governors' Association recommended crash thresholds to define injury crashes as ones where the person injured is taken to a medical facility for immediate medical attention, and tow-away crashes as ones where at least one vehicle is towed from the scene as a result of disabling damage suffered in the crash. GES follows the National Safety Council's KABCO scale where injury crashes involve disabling, evident, or possible injuries, and property-damage-only crashes involve no fatalities and no apparent injuries. Thus the MCMIS injury and tow-away crashes are subsets of the GES-eligible injury and property-damage-only crashes, and therefore are always less than the GES estimates.

II. CSA Data

The second set of changes provides additional information related to FMCSA's enforcement programs and investigation follow-on actions. Until the full implementation of the CSA program across all of the States, the 100% CSA State activities are displayed separately from the States that are "phasing" the implementation. The reviews and interventions conducted by both groups add up to the "total reviews performed," but the activities differ between the two groups. The new report contains an array of pre- and post-investigation actions such as warning letters, notices of violations, and out of service orders.

III. New Entrant Data

The final set of changes is to the new entrant and roadside inspection programs. The previous Federal and State information on the new entrant program is combined to be more reflective of the overall program. Data are also presented on the rate at which new entrants are "passing" their safety audits.

IV. Roadside Inspection Data

The roadside inspection information related to "At U.S. Borders" has been removed. A more detailed look at roadside inspections and other FMCSA Safety Programs is available through the FMCSA Analysis & Information Online website (http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SafetyProgram/home.aspx). Information related to the U.S.-Mexico Cross-Border Trucking Pilot Program is provided at the program's website at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/international-programs/mexico-cross-border-truc....