Unsafe Driving- Protect your CSA score.

Unsafe Driving

Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA)

    Unsafe Driving is one of seven BASICs (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories) used in the CSA scores. Unsafe Driving includes violations for speeding, improper lane changes, following too closely, failure to obey a traffic control device (sign or light), seat belt violations and radar detector violations. Using a hand-held cellphone, texting and unauthorized passengers are also violations found in the Unsafe Driving Basic. The trend is showing that more and more drivers are not given citations or warnings for a violation. Instead the violation is noted on an inspection form and thus cannot be disputed in court.

    All violations that pertain to a BASIC are assigned a severity weight that reflects crash risk. The severity weights range from 1 to 10, where 1 represents the lowest crash risk and 10 represents the highest crash risk relative to the other violations in the BASIC. Scores are also time weighted from 1 to 3, with the most recent violations having the most effect on the scores. Points are updated to our BASICs scores in CSA and a drivers’ safety records in PSP each month. We are required to stay under a threshold of 65% in the Unsafe Driving Basic. If we go above 65%, we are subject to interventions which includes our equipment and drivers being subjected to more frequent inspections by law enforcement.

    There are no excuses in the CSA environment. Things like “the officer said he wasn’t giving me a ticket so it wouldn’t count” or “I was running with traffic” or “I didn’t see the sign saying they were inspecting in the rest area” will not cut it. In CSA, the only thing that works is to not violate rules, regulations or laws. CSA scoring is based upon any “defect” an officer “observes.” If he or she sees it, they write it and both the driver and the company bear the consequences. It is imperative that all drivers understand CSA BASICS and comply with all traffic laws, state and Federal regulations at all times. Drivers who fail to understand or who just don’t care will simply not survive in the world of CSA. EVERYTHING COUNTS!! Safety is our number one priority. Stay in compliance and stay safe.