.png)
CSA is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) safety compliance and enforcement program, which holds motor carriers and drivers accountable for their safety on our Nation’s roads. Since the 1970s, Federal and State enforcement efforts have progressively reduced the rate of CMV crashes resulting in injuries or fatalities on our Nation’s highways. The rate of crash reduction slowed, prompting the FMCSA to develop a new way to evaluate the safety of motor carriers and drivers.
FMCSA wanted to improve its safety monitoring, evaluation, and intervention processes. Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) is the result of this effort. CSA began in 2010.
1-27 CSA affects carriers subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, carriers transporting passengers or cargo in interstate commerce, and Hazardous Materials carriers operating in intrastate commerce. CSA may also impact carriers whose State requires that they obtain a U.S. DOT Number.
The Safety Measurement System (SMS) is FMCSA’s system for identifying unsafe carriers that should receive interventions. The SMS allows FMCSA, law enforcement, and motor carriers to see a comprehensive profile of safety issues. The SMS automatically identifies carriers that pose the greatest safety risk so that resources can be prioritized. The safety interventions include tools to more efficiently and effectively bring carriers into compliance.
The three main components of CSA:
Carriers are held accountable for all safety-based violations recorded during roadside inspections. Drivers are responsible for compliance with some vehicle maintenance regulations. For example, drivers are required, by regulation, to do a pre-trip vehicle inspection to ensure that the vehicle is safe.
While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration does not use the Safety Measurement System (SMS) or any other system to assign formal safety ratings to individual drivers, the agency recognizes that holding drivers accountable for safe driving behavior is an important part of the safety compliance and enforcement process. Safety Investigators investigate drivers with egregious violations when investigating a motor carrier. Additionally, investigators use the Driver SMS, an internal safety assessment tool, to review drivers with strong patterns of noncompliance. Any violations that are not corrected may result in a Notice of Violation or Notice of Claim for the driver.
Tickets or warnings that drivers receive while operating their personal vehicles do not count; only violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (and those regulations apply only to people driving commercial motor vehicles). Commercial Drivers should become familiar with what CSA is and how it affects them and their employer. Further information on CSA can be found at: https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/
It is your responsibility as an Idaho driver to keep a current address on file with the Idaho Transportation Department. If you move, you must notify the department in writing of the old and new address within 30 days. Call Driver Services at 334-8736 or go online to change your address. Here is the link: http://itd.idaho.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2016/06/Address.pdf
All Idaho drivers’ licenses are issued from a central location. You will receive a temporary card printed on security paper before you leave your local licensing office. The temporary card includes your photo and all the information included on the plastic card. The temporary card will be issued for driving and identity purposes. The new card will be mailed to you within about 10 business days. When the plastic card arrives in the mail, the temporary document should be destroyed.
Your driving privileges will be suspended under Section 18-8002A, Idaho Code, if you fail an evidentiary test for any of the following reasons:
The suspension will become effective 30 days from the date the Notice of Suspension is issued upon failure of an evidentiary test. If you are driving a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) at the time of your arrest, your commercial privileges are lost immediately and will remain suspended throughout the administrative process.
First offense: While operating any vehicle (BAC .08% or greater) or a commercial vehicle* (BAC .04% or greater)-
Second offense: While operating any vehicle (BAC .08% or greater) or a commercial vehicle* (BAC .04% or greater)-
If the failure(s) occurred in a commercial vehicle (BAC.04 to less than .08%), Class D driving privileges will remain valid.
These suspensions are separate from any additional penalties or suspensions imposed by the court as a result of being convicted of the offense. Additional information on this law may be found in the Idaho Driver’s Manual. A periodic review of both manuals is recommended for all commercial drivers.
Most drivers subject to CDL requirements are also required to participate in a controlled-substance and alcohol-testing program. These requirements include random, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, return-to-duty, and follow-up testing for controlled substances and alcohol. Pre-employment controlled substance testing is also required.
Drivers may obtain a copy of their driving record online, at the DMV, or by mail. Driver's license records as maintained by the Idaho Transportation Department can be found at:
https://www.accessidaho.org/secure/itd/dlr/interactive/search.html?ScriptForm.startstep=personal
You can also obtain a copy of your Idaho driving record by completing an “Idaho Motor Vehicle Driver’s License Record Request” form and paying a small fee. The Driver’s License Request (DLR) form can be obtained at most County Sherriff’s offices or on the State of Idaho website at: http://www.accessidaho.org
The Driver Record Dashboard is a very effective way to monitor driving records of multiple drivers. See: https://www.accessidaho.org/itd/monitoring/
Depending on your circumstances, you can travel to the closest County Sherriff’s office, fill out the form, pay the fees and receive your record while you wait. You may also fax or mail the form to the ITD or complete the application on the State of Idaho’s website.