How does the federal Safety Measurement System reduce truck accidents?

The Safety Measurement System (SMS) was created to inform the public about traffic risks. Since 2010, the SMS has provided the transportation industry and the public at large with comprehensive and frequently updated performance data.

Benefits of the Safety Measurement System

The SMS has enhanced roadway safety by:

• Holding trucking companies responsible for the way they conduct business.
• Encouraging a culture of transportation vehicle safety.
• Increasing awareness of the benefits of truck safety.
• Creating incentives for transportation companies to improve safety performance.
• Causing trucking companies to devote more resources to their safety initiatives.
• Providing members of the public with information to make more informed decisions.

Safety Measurement System Results

In 2015, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released a report regarding the effectiveness of the agency’s SMS. This report took carriers of all sizes into account in the agency’s attempt to remove unsafe transportation companies from the road. It confirmed that the SMS can accurately identify high-risk transportation companies. SMS data is used by the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program, and this program’s analysis revealed that:

• Transportation carriers identified as high-risk have crash rates that are twice the national average.
• There is no meaningful difference in collision rates between small carriers and those with 20 or more roadside inspections.
• SMS has been effective in identifying those transportation companies involved in 90 percent of the more than 100,000 collisions that occur each year.
• Violations have declined by 14 percent since the CSA system began.
• Transportation carriers that have a history of a high number of crashes have a higher probability than other carriers of being involved in crashes in the future.
• Those companies with between 11 and 20 inspections and patterns of non-compliance have the highest collision rates.

Trucking Company Negligence

While the Safety Management System isn’t a perfect tool, it is an important effort in holding negligent trucking companies accountable for the damage they inflict upon innocent victims. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation. To learn more, contact the law offices of Steve M. Lee, P.C., by clicking the Live Chat button on this page.