Safety Data Analysis Tools Workshop Michael S. Griffith, Director FMCSA Office of Research and Analysis TRB Transportation Safety Planning Working Group

Introduction  Demonstrate importance of data, research, and analysis tools at FMCSA  Discuss how organizations may benefit from these resources in their safety planning

FMCSA Safety Goal  Goal: Reduce CMV crash fatalities on our nation’s highways to 1.65 fatalities per 100 million miles of truck travel by 2008  Challenge: Number of carriers and large truck miles traveled will increase every year with more new carriers coming into the business than going out of it  Reality: FMCSA is a small agency with limited resources that oversees 685,000 motor carriers and 7 million drivers in the industry

Achieving FMCSA’s Safety Goal  Latest figures indicate 2004 had lowest large truck fatality rate (2.29) in 30 years  Freight volumes are expected to increase by 70 to 100 percent by 2020  FMCSA programs and regulations must keep pace with changes and growth in the trucking industry  FMCSA continues to rely on data quality and it is increasing its investment in analysis, research, and technology programs to achieve its safety goal

Large Truck vs. Passenger Vehicle Fatality Rates Large Truck Rates Passenger Vehicle Rates Source: NHTSA (FARS for crash data); FHWA (Highway Statistics for VMT data)

Large Truck vs. Passenger Vehicle Fatality + Injury Rates Large Truck Rates Passenger Vehicle Rates Source: NHTSA (FARS for crash data); FHWA (Highway Statistics for VMT data)

Crash Statistics In 2004, large trucks accounted for 8 percent of the vehicles in fatal crashes and only 3 percent of the vehicles involved in injury. In 2004, 4,440 fatal crashes involved a large truck resulting in 5,190 fatalities. 75 percent of these cases involved at least one large truck and at least one passenger car.

Data and Analysis Tools Overview GIS Geographic Information System A&I Analysis and Information MCMIS Motor Carrier Management Information System FARS Fatality Analysis Reporting System LTCCS Large Truck Crash Causation Study SafeStat Safety Status Measurement System CVSP Commercial Vehicle Safety Plan MCSAP Funding Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program

MCMIS Safety Performance Data  MCMIS is a repository of timely, accurate and accessible safety performance data on active interstate motor carriers operating in the U.S.  Includes data on motor carriers, hazardous materials shippers, and cargo tank manufacturers subject to the FMCSA regs and HazMat regs  Also, covers intrastate motor carriers subject to their States’ marking requirement of the FMCSA USDOT number among other carriers

MCMIS Information  MCMIS information includes: Carrier registration information Roadside inspection (brakes, tires, chassis, cargo, etc.) results Other FMCSA enforcement actions and crash information  How MCMIS is used: Maintains national carrier registration data for motor carriers Calculates safety fitness ratings Helps FMCSA monitor compliance with regulations

Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) Recently Completed  967 large truck crashes resulting in at least one fatality or injury investigated between April 2001 and December 2003 at 24 sites in 17 states by researchers from NHTSA and State truck inspectors.  LTTCS closely examined contributing factors.  LTTCS database more useful for analyzing driver and vehicle issues than highway design or operation issues.  Not suited for evaluating factors that operate to increase crash probabilities across all subsets of crashes.

Subset of the Results  Critical reason – Immediate reason for the event that immediately led to the crash.  For two-vehicle crashes involving a truck and a passenger vehicle, trucks were assigned the critical reason in 44 percent of the cases and 56 percent for passenger vehicles.  Driver reasons accounted for the overwhelming majority of the critical reasons – 88 percent for the trucks and 89 percent for passenger vehicles.

Driver Issues  Driver recognition and driver decision errors were the most frequently cited critical reasons for both types of vehicles.  Most common factors for both classes of drivers – Traveling too fast for conditions, making an illegal maneuver, legal drug use, and unfamiliarity with the roadway.  Fatigue (coded twice as often for the passenger vehicle driver as for the truck driver)

State Data Quality Map  Rates States on the relative completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of motor carrier crash, inspection, and other data submitted to FMCSA  Publicly available

A&I Website A&I Online ( provides government officials and the public access to safety information on motor carriers, such as:  Motor carrier crash data at the State and national level  Status of FMCSA safety programs research  NAFTA border State information  Data quality and data correction tools information  Current analyses on truck safety

SafeStat  SafeStat is used by FMCSA to target carriers for reviews, inspections, or other outreach activity  Combines current and historical safety performance data to measure the safety fitness of interstate CMVs  Guides deployment of resources to focus on carriers posing the greatest safety risk  Evaluates safety status of individual motor carriers in four Safety Evaluation Areas: Accident, Driver, Vehicle, and Safety Management using up to 30 months of CMV safety data

GIS Truck Safety Analysis Work completed under FHWA’s Highway Safety Information System project in collaboration with Wake County, NC

Truck Route Network

Sliding Scale Analysis Results

Corridor Analysis Link and analyze multiple routes within the 3-mile driveable buffer

Terminals & High-Crash Locations

Safety Data and Analysis Training  FMCSA participates annually in regional workshops with State CMV safety agencies to help States develop their annual Commercial Vehicle Safety Plans (CVSPs)  Workshops sponsored by FMCSA MCSAP Office  MCSAP Office manages $186 million in annual grants to help States improve motor carrier safety  Hands-on training not only helps States develop their CVSPs, but helps evaluate success of previous plans to see how various programs have helped reduce truck and bus crashes

Use of FMCSA Tools and Analyses MCMIS, LTTCS Data, A&I Website, GIS, and SafeStat are tools that can be used by agencies to:  Help guide agencies in developing their strategic highway transportation safety plans  Assist police in deployment of their enforcement resources  Use GIS to target crash locations  Tailor safety education and outreach campaigns (ex., No- Zone Campaign) within State or local jurisdictions

The Road Ahead  FMCSA’s analysis, research, and technology programs are helping State DOTs by improving the safety of Commercial Motor Vehicles on the highways  Planners may also benefit from direct access to data, analysis, and programs  FMCSA must work with stakeholders to pool expertise, energies, and resources to achieve the safety vision

A Tall Order...