OMCHS Builds Bigger Roof to House Safety Issues

Before a restructuring in January brought into being the Office of Motor Carrier and Highway Safety, Julie Cirillo, who heads the new agency, said the responsibility for safety among trucks, buses, roadside construction zones and pedestrians was “sprinkled throughout the Federal Highway Administration.

“One of the goals of restructuring was to bring all of those safety things together under one roof, so we could prioritize our issues and assign our resources to those things that were most important, most critical to safety,” she said.

The move focused on establishing four core divisions to oversee various facets of vehicle and highway safety, and four additional support divisions. Nine regional offices were consolidated into four resource centers to serve as hubs for FHWA’s state offices.

While several groups have expressed reservations about the restructuring, Cirillo maintains it provides a focus that the agency needs to achieve its safety goals.

“We took an enormous step by saying, ‘If you are going to do safety, at least bring it all together and focus on it in some type of systematic fashion,’ ” she said. “The proof will be in the pudding, but the pudding won’t be gelled for a couple of years.”

The former Office of Motor Carriers had five divisions with responsibility for planning and customer liaison, research and standards, safety and technology, information analysis and field operations.

The new core divisions are:

• The Office of Safety Research and Motor Carrier Standards — Conducts research and develops regulations.
• The Office of Highway Safety Infrastructure — Oversees roadside design, rail grade crossings, traffic control devices and pedestrian and bike safety.
• The Office of National and International Safety Programs — Oversees the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program as well as implements the truck and bus safety provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
• The Office of Motor Carrier Enforcement — Identifies high-risk carriers and deploys safety inspectors.

The core offices are supported by four smaller units:

• The Office of Policy and Program Management — Handles industry, congressional and public outreach.
• The Office of Data Analysis and Information Systems — Gathers and analyzes safety data.
• The Office of Technology Evaluation and Deployment — Oversees the development and use of intelligent transportation systems for commercial vehicles.
• The Office of Program Evaluation — Determines the effectiveness of the business unit’s programs.

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