Alternative Truck and Bus Inspection Strategies (2006)

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17 CHAPTER 6 EFFECTIVENESS OF CURRENT SYSTEMS Data to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of the road- side inspection program are limited. To support this portion of the analysis, the research team relied on evaluations conducted by FMCSA. A primary source of this data was the “FMCSA Safety Program Effectiveness Measurement: Intervention Model,” prepared in December 2004. This model is used by FMCSA to assess the effectiveness of its roadside inspection and traffic enforcement programs. The model considers both direct effects (e.g., vehicle/driver defects discovered during inspections reducing the likelihood of crashes) and indirect effects (e.g., improved safety derived from a carrier’s increased awareness of FMCSA’s safety programs) of enforcement pro- grams [John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Cen- ter, FMCSA Safety Program Effectiveness Measurement: Intervention Model; Roadside Inspections and Traffic Enforce- ment Annual Report, December 2004, page i]. While empiri- cal data currently is not available to support all elements of the model, it currently is the most robust source on the topic. IMPACT ON COMPLIANCE AND VIOLATIONS In 2004, 3,014,907 roadside inspections were performed. Of this total, approximately 2,957,827 included a driver inspec- tion, 2,249,338 included a vehicle inspection, and 178,951 included a hazardous material inspection. Seventy-three per- cent (2,204,501) of the inspections identified a violation—27% of the inspections resulted in an out-of-service (OOS) order. Violations and OOS orders were most prevalent in vehicle inspections. Vehicle inspections identified a violation 69% of the time and an OOS order was issued during 23% of vehicle inspections. These rates are dramatically higher than observed during driver and hazardous material inspections. Thirty-six percent of driver inspections identified a violation; 6.5% of driver inspections resulted in an OOS order. Only 18.6% of hazardous material inspections identified a violation and 5.6% resulted in an OOS order. The 2004 statistics are consistent with the number of viola- tions and OOS orders recorded in 2002 and 2003. Research indicates that the use of a screening algorithm greatly increases the likelihood that a violation and/or an OOS order will be identified during an inspection. A study conducted by the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute cites a “60% increase in the number of vehicles and drivers placed OOS” when there is a recommendation to inspect the vehicle from a screening algorithm [Upper Great Plains Transportation Insti- tute, ISS-2: The Integration of the Motor Carrier Safety Status Measurement System (SAFESTAT) Into the Roadside Inspec- tion Selection System (ISS) Final Report, January 2000, page 15]. Vehicles recommended for inspection by ISS were placed out of service 32.5% of the time; vehicles recommended for inspection by ISS-2 were placed out of service 30.4% of the time [Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, ISS-2: The Integration of the Motor Carrier Safety Status Measurement System (SAFESTAT) Into the Roadside Inspection Selection System (ISS) Final Report, January 2000, page 11]. INCIDENT AND ACCIDENT TRENDS In 2003, 4,986 fatalities occurred in crashes that involved a large truck. As such, 2.31 fatalities occurred per 100 million miles driven by large trucks. While the number of fatalities remains unacceptably high, the fatality rate for large trucks continues to decrease. Since 1983, the fatality rate associated with large truck crashes, has decreased from 4.2 fatalities per 100 million miles driven to 2.31 fatalities per 100 million miles driven—almost a 50% decrease. The roadside enforcement programs of federal and state regulators appear to have had a direct impact on commercial vehicle safety. FMCSA’s Intervention Model estimates that in 2003 17,151 commercial vehicle crashes were avoided through roadside inspection and traffic enforcement pro- grams. These prevented crashes resulted in 722 fatalities and 13,062 injuries being avoided [John A. Volpe National Trans- portation System Center Motor Carrier Safety Assessment Division, FMCSA Safety Program Performance Measures— Intervention Model: Roadside Inspection and Traffic Enforce- ment Effectiveness Assessment, September 2002, page iii]. Roadside inspections alone are estimated to have prevented 12,667 crashes, 534 fatalities, and 9,647 injuries in 2003 [John A. Volpe National Transportation System Center Motor Carrier Safety Assessment Division, FMCSA Safety Pro- gram Performance Measures—Intervention Model: Roadside Inspection and Traffic Enforcement Effectiveness Assessment, September 2002, page iii].