CVSA Releases 2010 North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria

Publication Outlines Benefits to Carriers, Commercial Vehicle Safety Overall

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance released the 2010 North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria (OOSC), providing law enforcement and the motor carrier industry with a valuable tool designed to improve commercial motor vehicle safety by promoting uniformity in compliance and enforcement throughout North America.

CVSA has been maintaining, updating, and publishing the OOSC annually for more than twenty years which becomes effective throughout North America every April 1st. The OOSC is used by highly-qualified, specially-trained and certified state, provincial, territorial, and federal law enforcement personnel in identifying Critical Vehicle Inspection Item violations following a roadside inspection that can prohibit a motor carrier or operator from driving or operating a commercial motor vehicle for a specified period of time or until the defective condition is corrected. Approximately four-million commercial vehicle roadside inspections are conducted annually across North America by government enforcement agencies. Issued upon the completion of a Level I or V inspection, CVSA decals are only applied to commercial motor vehicles with no violations of the Critical Vehicle Inspection Items contained in the OOSC. The OOSC is a component of the North American Standard Inspection Program, and is developed through a collaborative process that includes government and industry experts and which is focused on the issues most critical to maintaining the safe operations of commercial vehicles on our roadways.

“It is in the best interests of every driver and motor carrier to be familiar with the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria,” said Stephen A. Keppler, CVSA’s Interim Executive Director. “Knowing which commercial motor vehicle violations have been identified as being the most serious is helpful because it provides necessary focus in properly maintaining vehicles and it saves lives. It also helps prevent unnecessary delays and down time in transit as a result of having a driver or vehicle placed out-of-service.”

Roadside inspection results are used in part to identify motor carriers that present a high degree of risk to the motoring public. As a result, the data collected helps in determining which transportation companies will be selected for review under FMCSA’s new Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA 2010) initiative. “With full implementation of CSA 2010 activities on the horizon, such as the new Carrier Safety Measurement System, knowing the ‘Criteria’ in advance can assist a motor carrier ensure the accuracy of the roadside inspection data collected and contained within a motor carrier’s safety profile.” said Larry G. Woolum, Regulatory Affairs Director of the Ohio Trucking Association and Chair of CVSA’s Associate Advisory Committee.

“The information collected during a roadside inspection provides the foundation for data-driven traffic safety initiatives. As a result, the importance of this issue cannot be understated, as it has strong implications to not only CSA 2010 but all of our traffic safety programs,” said Buzzy France, CVSA’s President. “Commercial motor vehicle safety continues to be a challenge and we need the involvement of all affected parties to help us better understand these issues and put into place practical solutions. As commercial vehicle inspectors, our continued diligence will help us reach our ultimate goal of saving lives.”

For more information on the North American Standard Inspection Program, or on how to obtain the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria, visit www.cvsa.org. For more information on CSA 2010, visit http://csa2010.fmcsa.dot.gov/.

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