IT PAYS TO BE SAFE

No. 30, July, 2010
CSA 2010--Controlled Substances and Alcohol

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has rolled out CSA 2010, and they now judge drivers based on BASIC, a criteria known as Behavioral Analysis & Safety Improvement Categories. Estimates have been published indicating that as many as 175,000 drivers will be eliminated from the work place as a result of the failure to live up to the mandates of the BASIC criteria.

The fourth installment of our seven-part series on BASIC pertains to Controlled Substances and Alcohol. Every driver needs to be aware that the operation of a truck while impaired due to alcohol, illegal drugs and misuse of prescription medications or over-the-counter medications, is prohibited. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will be collecting data, which includes:

• Roadside violations involving controlled substances or alcohol
• Crash reports citing driver impairment or intoxication as a cause
• Positive drug or alcohol test results on drivers; and
• The failure of companies to appropriately test for controlled substances and alcohol use.

Three of these four criteria are in control of you, the truck driver.

It's important to remember FMCSA Part 392 sets forth the criteria pertaining to alcohol and drugs. Those alcohol provisions have changed over time, with §392.5 now providing that not only is a driver not to have used alcohol within 4 hours of going on duty, but they are not to have any measured alcohol concentration or detect a presence of alcohol while on duty or in physical control of a commercial motor vehicle. It is now absolutely prohibited for a driver to have in their possession wine, beer or distilled spirits while on duty.

Drivers need to be exceedingly careful in the use of medications, particularly for back pain, which may fall into the category of narcotics. Even though the use is of a lawfully prescribed drug, it is prohibited for a truck driver while operating a motor vehicle.

Each driver should once again turn to his Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act that you keep your truck to review §392 and its subparts so that you are not 1 of the 175,000 drivers eliminated under CSA 2010. Remember, it pays to know the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act, and it always pays to be safe.