Working Together for Safety
We Measure
for Safety
for Safety
The Safety Measurement System (SMS)
The SMS uses data from roadside inspections and crash reports from the last two years, and data from investigations to identify and intervene with motor carriers that pose the greatest risk to safety.
FMCSA updates the SMS once a month and organizes the data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). The SMS groups carriers by BASIC with other carriers that have a similar number of safety events and then ranks carriers and assigns a percentile to prioritize them for interventions. To learn about SMS's effectiveness, visit the SMS Effectiveness Test page.
Complete SMS results are available to enforcement users and carriers that are logged into their own safety profiles. For more information on what SMS data is available to the public, review this FAQ.
Learn more about the BASICs
Unsafe Driving
The Unsafe Driving BASIC prioritizes interventions for repeated unsafe behaviors, including:
Texting
Speeding
Using a hand-held cell phone
Reckless driving
Improper lane change
Inattention
Federal regulations related to this BASIC
49 CFR Parts 392 and 397 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).
Note: Violations recorded on a roadside inspection report are used in the SMS, regardless of whether a State officer also issues a citation (i.e., ticket) or a verbal warning. If a driver or carrier receives violations on a roadside inspection report, they can request a review of the data through DataQs. The SMS does not use State-issued citations unless they are issued in conjunction with a roadside inspection report.
Crash Indicator
State-reported crashes from the last two years are collected in this BASIC to help identify patterns of high crash involvement and the behaviors or set of behaviors that contributed to the crash. Crashes involving commercial motor vehicles, as defined in 49 CFR 390.5, are reportable if they result in a fatality or injury, or require a vehicle to be transported from the crash scene, regardless of the carrier or driver's role in the crash.
The Crash Indicator BASIC is not public. It is only available to a motor carrier that is logged into its own safety profile, or to enforcement personnel.
Federal regulations related to this BASIC
This is the only BASIC that does not use violations of specific regulations. However, commercial drivers and motor carriers must comply with the FMCSRs. Noncompliance with FMCSA safety regulations can lead to an increased risk of being involved in crashes and impact a carrier's percentile in the Crash Indicator BASIC.
Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance
This BASIC addresses requirements for all large truck and bus drivers to ensure that they are alert, awake, and able to respond quickly.
For the latest information and resources on HOS, visit FMCSA's Website.
Vehicle Maintenance
This BASIC considers proper vehicle maintenance to help ensure safety on the road, including pre- and post-trip inspections, vehicle defects, and repairs.
Controlled Substances/Alcohol
This BASIC addresses misuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, and over-the-counter and prescription medications that impair driving abilities and endanger everyone's safety on the road. Having containers of alcoholic beverages in CMV cabs, whether open or not, is a violation.
Hazardous Materials (HM) Compliance
This BASIC includes regulations that require special attention, from how to properly package, mark, label, placard, and load HM, to understanding regulations for tank specification testing, loading/unloading, attendance, and leakage.
The HM Compliance BASIC is not public. It is only available to a motor carrier that is logged into its own safety profile or to enforcement personnel.
