CSA is the FMCSA's enforcement and compliance program. Its Safety Measurement System assigns carriers percentile rankings across seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, including unsafe driving, hours of service compliance, vehicle maintenance, and controlled substances.
Scores derive from roadside inspection violations and reportable crashes over a 24-month period, weighted by severity and recency.
Alternative Names:
CSA, CSA Scores, Safety Measurement System
Why it Matters?
Poor CSA scores are a favorite plaintiff exhibit because they package a carrier's compliance history into a single number a jury can grasp. Defense counsel challenge admissibility on the ground that the methodology is contested, that scores compare carriers only within peer groups, and that crash data is included without regard to fault. Whether the scores come in often shapes the entire liability narrative.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Are CSA scores admissible in a trucking case?
Is a CSA score the same as a safety rating?
