As we wrap up our series related to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) key investigative tool—the Safety Management Cycle (SMC)—our spotlight moves to the Crash Indicator Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC). The SMC for the Crash Indicator BASIC helps carriers evaluate current operations, identify gaps in existing safety controls, and take action to improve safety practices with an end goal of preventing future crashes.

For example, a carrier should consider maintaining roadside inspection reports, moving violation records, crash reports, and “How am I driving?” complaints to help evaluate the performance of all staff (drivers and managers) involved in the effectiveness of company safety management policies and procedures. Also, a carrier may want to consider creating a policy and procedure for recording crash details and evaluate the company’s crash experience over time to identify potential patterns or trends.

These and other tips are available in the SMC for the Crash Indicator BASIC. Download it today! (http://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/About/SMC_Overview.aspx) Also, make sure you review the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrguide.aspx) to ensure you operate in full compliance of all current safety standards.