In a recent industry presentation, Stephen Keppler, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), noted the top nationwide driver and vehicle safety violations as revealed by data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (www.fmcsa.dot.gov).
The top driver violations were:
1. Log form and manner.
2. Driver's record of duty status not current.
3. Driver not in possession of medical certificate.
4. Non-English speaking driver. (I find this amazing.)
5. Speeding (6 to 10 mph over posted speed limit).
6. Failing to use a seat belt.
7. Over the 14-hour on-duty limit.
8. Failing to obey traffic control device.
9. False record of duty status.
10. Expired medical examiner's certificate.
The nationwide top 10 vehicle violations were:
1. Operating a vehicle without the required lamps.
2. No/defective lighting.
3. Tires with a tread depth of less than 2/32".
4. Inspection/repair and maintenance of parts and accessories.
5. Brakes out of adjustment.
6. Oil and/or grease leak.
7. Failing to secure brake hose.
8. Operating a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
9. No/discharged fire extinguisher.
10. Automatic brake adjuster issues.
Keppler made his remarks to The Zone 2013, the inaugural fleet management conference put on by Zonar in mid-May in San Antonio, TX. Zonar is a provider of fleet telematics, remote diagnostics and mobile onboard computing (www.zonarsystems.com).
CVSA is an international not-for-profit organization comprised of local, state, provincial, territorial and federal motor carrier safety officials and industry representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico (www.cvsa.org). Its mission is to promote commercial motor vehicle safety and security by providing leadership to enforcement, industry and policy makers.