Bill Introduced to Remove Safety Scores from CSA Website
Barletta said the current system for scoring and ranking under the Compliance, Safety, Accountability program is flawed and unfairly labels carriers that are safe operators.
The bill introduced Sept. 18 also would prevent scores from being used as evidence in liability cases until the CSA system is fixed, Barletta said.
“Unfortunately, companies across the country and in Pennsylvania are being unfairly misrepresented by their safety scores, causing economically devastating impacts to these bus and truck companies, many of which are small businesses,” the congressman said in a statement.
Barletta’s measure, called the Safer Trucks and Buses Act, would require FMCSA to send Congress what he called “an improvement plan” and implement that plan.
The CSA program was “rushed into usage and often does not reflect changes made by carriers to improve their approaches to safety,” Barletta’s statement said.
Once the scoring system is improved, he said, safety information on carriers would again be available.
“Make no mistake, I am a strong advocate for roadway safety,” Barletta said. “This bill in no way eliminates law enforcement access to safety data, and the worst offenders can still be targeted.”
Flawed safety scores do not benefit anyone, he added.
“Whether it’s a parent looking for the safest bus for her kid’s school trip, a shipper looking for the safest truck to haul its goods or a small business trying to make it in a tough economy, we need better safety scores to provide adequate safety information.”
FMCSA previously defended its Safety Measurement System scores for motor carriers after 10 industry trade associations asked Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to discontinue the public display of scores. Ten more groups sent a letter to Foxx on Sept. 17, also calling for the scores to be removed.
FMCSA said in a statement prepared for Transport Topics that the agency is committed to preventing large truck and bus crashes, and that the CSA Safety Measurement System has been “a game-changer in improving safety by making company violations and safety records” available to members of the public, to law enforcement and to other businesses.
“Research also shows that the Safety Measurement System effectively identifies high-risk and unsafe commercial bus and truck companies of all sizes for increased inspections, investigations and warning letters,” FMCSA said. “We continue to work with all partners to ensure an efficient, transparent system to provide safer transportation for everyone on the road."
