Transportation – CSA Basics

CSA 7 BASICS

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What are the CSA Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (CSA BASICs)?

The Safety Measurement System (SMS) is organized into seven BASICs, which represent behaviors that can lead to crashes. The BASICs were developed based on information from a number of studies that quantify the associations between violations and crash risk, as well as statistical analysis and input from enforcement subject matter experts.

The BASICs are defined as follows:

  • Unsafe Driving BASIC
    • Operation of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in a dangerous or careless manner. Example violations: speeding, reckless driving, improper lane change, and inattention. (FMCSR> Parts 392 and 397)
  • HOS Compliance BASIC
    • Operation of CMVs by drivers who are ill, fatigued, or in non-compliance with the Hours-of-Service (HOS) regulations. Example violations: exceeding HOS, maintaining an incomplete or inaccurate logbook, and operating a CMV while ill or fatigued. (FMCSR Parts 392 and 395)
  • Driver Fitness BASIC
    • Operation of CMVs by drivers who are unfit to operate a CMV due to lack of training, experience, or medical qualifications. Example violations: failing to have a valid and appropriate commercial driver’s license and being medically unqualified to operate a CMV. (FMCSR Parts 383 and 391)
  • Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC
    • Operation of CMVs by drivers who are impaired due to alcohol, illegal drugs, and misuse of prescription or over-the-counter medications. Example violations: use or possession of controlled substances or alcohol. (FMCSR Parts 382 and 392)
  • Vehicle Maintenance BASIC
    • Failure to properly maintain a CMV. Example violations: brakes, lights, and other mechanical defects, and failure to make required repairs. (FMCSR Parts 393 and 396)
  • Hazmat Compliance BASIC
    • Failure to properly prevent shifting loads, spilled or dropped cargo, and unsafe handling of hazardous materials on a CMV. Example violations: improper load securement, cargo retention, and hazardous material handling. (FMCSR Parts 392, 393, 397 and applicable DOT HM regulations)
  • Crash Indicator BASIC
    • SMS evaluates a motor carrier’s crash history. Crash history is not specifically a behavior. Rather, it is a consequence of a behavior and may indicate a problem with the motor carrier that warrants intervention. It is based on information from State-reported crash reports and histories or patterns of high crash involvement, including frequency and severity.

BASIC Definitions and Data Sources for Carriers

BASIC Operational definition Data sources
Driver Fitness

Parts 383 & 391

 Operation of commercial motor vehicles by drivers who are unfit to operate them because they lack training, experience, or medical qualification.
  1. Roadside inspection violations for failure to have a valid commercial driver’s license
  2. Crash reports citing a lack of experience or medical reason as a cause or contributing factor
  3. Compliance review violations for failure to maintain proper driver qualification files or use of unqualified drivers
Unsafe Driving

Parts 392 & 397

 Dangerous or careless operation of commercial motor vehicles.
  1. Driver traffic violations and convictions for speeding, reckless driving, improper lane change, inattention, and other unsafe driving behavior
Fatigued Driving

Parts 392 & 395

 Driving commercial motor vehicles while fatigued.
  1. Hours-of-service violations
  2. Crash reports with driver fatigue cited as a contributing factor
Controlled Substances/Alcohol

Part 392

 Operation of a commercial motor vehicle while impaired by or in possession of alcohol, illegal drugs, or any other substance that renders the driver incapable of safely operating a motor vehicle.
  1. Roadside inspection violations involving controlled substances or alcohol
  2. Crash reports citing driver impairment or intoxication as a cause
  3. Positive controlled substances or alcohol test results on drivers
Crash Indicator Histories or patterns of high crash involvement, including frequency and severity. Miles carrier logs versus number of accidents
  1. Law enforcement crash reports
  2. Crashes reported by the carrier that are discovered during on-site investigations
Vehicle Maintenance

Parts 393 & 396

Improper Loading/Cargo Securement Parts 392, 393

 Failure of commercial motor vehicle due to improper or inadequate maintenance.

Shifting loads spilled or dropped cargo.
  1. Roadside inspection violation for brakes, lights, and other mechanical defects
  2. Crash reports citing a mechanical failure as a contributing factor
  3. Compliance review violations associated with pre-trip inspections, maintenance records, and repair records
  4. Crash reports citing shifting loads or spilled/dropped cargo as a cause or contributing factor
Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance — (FMCSR Part 397 and Hazardous Materials Regulations Parts Unsafe handling of HM on a CMV. Example violations: Release of HM from package, no shipping papers (carrier), and no placards/markings when required.
  1. Roadside inspection violations pertaining to load securement, cargo retention, and hazardous material handling
  2. Crash reports citing shifting loads or spilled/dropped cargo as a cause or contributing factor
Note: Most of the BASICs deal with driver characteristics and behavior. FMCSA will address these driver behaviors by intervening with carriers that use unsafe drivers. FMCSA will also use these same BASICs and underlying data sources to determine the safety fitness of individual drivers.

The safety measurement system will score carriers in each BASIC and make a safety fitness determination to indicate (1) whether a carrier should continue to operate.

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