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Jul 12, 2007 11:08 AM

The Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Transportation has called for more complete information on motor carrier crashes in order to target the highest risk carriers for compliance reviews, according to IG information.

Calvin L Scovel III testified July 11 before a subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that the information would allow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to reassess and strengthen the compliance review process as vulnerabilities are identified, according to the information.

The IG urged FMCSA to ensure that enforcement actions are taken against companies that repeatedly violate motor carrier safety regulations. "While it is necessary to consider a motor carrier’s ability to pay a fine when taking enforcement action, this consideration should not be allowed to override the necessity for dealing appropriately with repeat violators," he testified.

He also pointed out that FMCSA reviews less than two percent of active interstate motor carriers each year, a situation he said which makes it important to select for compliance review the carriers that pose the greatest safety risk.