In the April 2020 version of this newsletter, STC called on FMCSA to finalize its Crash Preventability Determination Program. In early May, the new program arrived to much fanfare and industry applause. This month, STC is encouraging carriers to use it, and not just to improve CSA scores and profiles.
Tucked away in the new and permanent program is a requirement that carriers and driver submitting a request for a crash review include a copy of the police accident report (PAR) which provides specific details about the crash. This is a clear acknowledgement by FMCSA that crash causation CAN be reliably ascertained from the PAR, a conclusion several researchers have already reached. These PARs will be an important source of learning as FMCSA embarks on an effort to reboot a Large Truck Crash Causation Study. PARs are a great source of data from which experts can draw important conclusions about how and why crashes occur.
One lesson STC has learned from some of the safest fleets in the industry is that preventing crashes begins with understanding their root cause. PARs are a great source of information that will improve our understanding and help prevent crashes in the future. So, go ahead, submit your crashes. Everyone benefits.