The results of a 2006 review by the Department of Transportation (DOT) on Canadian/Mexican carrier safety compliance were not statistically valid, according to an audit by the DOT Office of Inspector General (IG).
The IG office found that while the review provided evidence that most vehicles sampled complied with commercial motor vehicle safety standards, the estimates subsequently formulated based on the sample were not statistically valid because of how the sample was selected and projected.
"Additionally, the quantitative impacts of key assumptions are not clearly presented for report users to effectively evaluate the estimates made," the IG report found. "According to FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration), the concerns raised may be valid, but FMCSA does not expect that the reported findings are significantly affected by them. Additionally, FMCSA agreed to the two recommendations that focus on actions FMCSA needs to take to ensure that any future compliance reviews include appropriate review by a FMCSA statistical expert and that results are clearly presented.
The IG office was tasked with determining whether Canadian and Mexican commercial motor vehicles operating in the United States comply with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.