FMCSA Announces 12 Violations being added to the Safety Measurement System

The FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) is designed to incorporate the safety-based regulations related to motor carrier operations. The SMS assesses compliance and prioritizes carriers for interventions based on their on-road performance and investigation results.

The SMS assesses motor carrier on-road performance and compliance by organizing data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs):

Unsafe Driving
Crash Indicator
hours-of-Service Compliance
Vehicle Maintenance
Controlled Substances/Alcohol
Hazardous Materials Compliance (HM)
Driver Fitness

FMCSA has now added 12 violations to the SMS in order to give large truck and bus companies a more complete picture of their safety performance.

This update aligns with recent changes to FMCSA’s roadside inspection collection software and builds on efforts to continuously improve the consistency of data in the Agency’s systems, so enforcement personnel can make the best decisions impacting safety on our Nation’s roads, according to FMCSA.

The 12 new violations are:

Unsafe Driving | Operating a property-carrying commercial motor vehicle while all other occupants are not properly restrained
(Seat Belt, Severity = 7)
Vehicle Maintenance | Tire-front tread depth less than 2/32 of inch on a major tread groove
(Tires, Severity = 8)
Vehicle Maintenance | Tire-other tread depth less than 1/32 of inch measured in 2 adjacent major tread grooves
(Tires, Severity = 8)
Vehicle Maintenance | Operating a CMV at speeds exceeding the speed-restriction label of the tire
(Tires, Severity = 8)
Vehicle Maintenance | Weight carried exceeds tire load limit
(Tire vs. Load, Severity = 3)
Vehicle Maintenance | Operating a CMV while weight carried exceeds tire rating due to under-inflation
(Tire vs. Load, Severity = 3)
Controlled Substances/Alcohol | Driver on duty and in possession of a narcotic drug / amphetamine
(Drugs, Severity = 10)
Controlled Substances/Alcohol | Driver on duty and under the influence of, or using a narcotic drug / amphetamine, which renders the driver incapable of safe operation.
(Drugs, Severity = 10)
Controlled Substances/Alcohol | Driver having any measured alcohol concentration, or any detected presence of alcohol while on duty, or operating, or in physical control of a CMV
(Alcohol, Severity = 5)
Controlled Substances/Alcohol | Driver having possession of alcohol while on duty, or operating, or in physical control of a CMV
(Alcohol Possession, Severity = 3)
Controlled Substances/Alcohol | Operating a CMV while under the influence of an intoxicating beverage regardless of its alcohol content.
(Alcohol, Severity = 5)
Hazardous Materials Compliance | Represent a package as meeting a specification that does not meet a specification
(Package Integrity – HM, Severity = 8)