While the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's new CSA 2010 safety initiative does not target public school district bus drivers, a new fact sheet released this month contains "Just the Facts" to paint a clearer picture of requirements and points of emphasis.

CSA 2010 replaces the FMCSA's SafeStat system starting in November and only requires that private motor carrier operators such as school bus contractor companies that operate vehicles over 10,000 pounds and engage in interstate travel adhere to the rules.

The Safety Measurement System assesses a carrier’s safety performance on the basis of its roadside violations and crashes. It provides measurement, evaluation and intervention to address potential safety problems before they occur in commercial vehicles such as hours of service violations, driver sleep apnea, vehicle maintenance issues and company and driver history.

Though public school bus drivers are exempt, school districts are being encouraged to be aware of the new rules, especially if they use private contractor companies. The new fact sheet, for example, points out that CSA 2010 does not currently have rules that restrict who can be a commercial vehicle driver based on body mass index (BMI), weight size or neck size. The FAQ however does note that research data indicates that a driver's BMI is a risk factor for identifying drivers that may have sleep apnea. Also, similar to SafeStat, tickets or warnings that commercial motor vehicle drivers receive while operating their personal vehicles do not count in the new Safety Measurement System.

Over the summer, motor carriers have been able to review their company histories. Those reviews conclude next month, at which time states will begin to adopt CSA 2010.

See more on CSA 2010 and what it means to the school transportation industry in the October magazine issue of School Transportation News.