New Trucking Regulations Designed to Make Roads Safer in States Like Georgia

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has launched the Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) program to enact tougher requirements for commercial motor carriers.

One of the measures is a new Safety Measurement System (SMS) which will help identify high-risk motor carriers as well as ones with a history of compliance issues. The new program evaluates the carrier in seven areas that are critical to crash prevention, and this data is updated on a monthly basis. These seven criteria, called BASICS, which stands for behavioral analysis and safety improvement categories, determine a carrier's safety rating.

The BASICS are:

• unsafe driver
• fatigued driver
• driver fitness
• driver's use of controlled substances or alcohol
• vehicle maintenance
• cargo-related problems and hazardous materials
• crash indicator (number of reportable crashes)

In addition to this new safety measurement system, the FMCSA has implemented other regulatory changes that will affect how trucking companies are monitored. The new Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP) was developed to help commercial carriers screen job applicants for past safety violations. This program is operated by the FMCSA and permits a trucking company to go online, pay a fee and access information the agency has about a driver's history, including three years of inspection data and five years of crash data.

Another safety measure going into effect is the increased use of electronic onboard recorders. These are digital logbooks that are kept by a truck driver to keep track of his hours driven, his routes, stops and delivery points. Drivers have been known to cheat on paper logs so in April of 2010 the FMCSA mandated that any carrier that had a 10 percent or greater violation rating on their inspected logs must install recorders in all of their vehicles.

These trucking regulations are being changed on a continuous basis and are designed to improve public safety and carrier accountability. It is imperative that if you have been injured in an accident involving a tractor-trailer that you hire an attorney who has a thorough understanding of these new regulations. Our Atlanta trucking accident lawyers have been representing those who suffer serious injury or the loss of a loved one in Georgia and the Southeast for over 39 years. We are committed to developing a reputation as the top trucking accident law firm in Georgia.

Our experienced Georgia trucking accident law firm is available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.