BASIC Factsheets Now Available Online

The Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program has just released a new Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Category (BASIC) factsheet series on the CSA Outreach Website. These factsheets are targeted for motor carriers and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers who want to learn more about the agency's seven BASICs, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) upon which they are based, and how to ensure they comply with those regulations.

Motor carriers and drivers should read all seven of these new factsheets to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the CSA program and, more specifically, the BASICs. The BASICs are Unsafe Driving, Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service), Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Cargo-Related, and Crash Indicator. As these factsheets outline, the BASICs are safety categories in the CSA program's Safety Measurement System (SMS). Motor carriers can see where they stand in each BASIC by logging into the SMS online (http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms/).

These BASIC factsheets fulfill an informational need for motor carriers and drivers looking for ways to improve their safety performance. Motor carriers should consider these factsheets not only as a resource for themselves but also as a tool for educating their drivers. FMCSA will highlight one BASIC factsheet each Monday for the next seven weeks through this subscription email service to support industry's understanding of the BASICs.

View the BASIC factsheets here.