FMCSA Safety Program Effectiveness Measurement: Roadside Intervention Effectiveness Model, Fiscal Year 2013

Horton, Suzanne; Segev, Eran; Meltzer, Neil R. · 2017 · ROSA P / John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)

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Summary

This report details the application of the Roadside Intervention Effectiveness Model (RIEM) to measure the safety impact of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Roadside Inspection and Traffic Enforcement programs for Fiscal Year 2013. The study was motivated by the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010, which mandates federal agencies to quantify program effectiveness for budget cycles, and aims to provide a quantitative basis for optimizing safety resource allocation. The RIEM operates on the premise that identifying and correcting vehicle and driver violations during inspections reduces the probability of subsequent crashes. The methodology utilizes data from the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) to analyze interventions conducted between October 1, 2012, and September 30, 2013. The model assigns specific crash risk probabilities to violation groups, derived from comparing violations found in post-crash inspections versus non-crash inspections. It calculates crash risk reduction by multiplying the crash probability by the duration of risk reduction and a correction rate factor, which accounts for violations not fixed within the regulatory timeframe (e.g., 69.9% for vehicle maintenance). The estimated number of crashes prevented is then converted into lives saved and injuries prevented using two-year averages of fatality and injury rates per crash. For FY 2013, the model incorporated new violations related to mobile phone use and texting. In FY 2013, FMCSA conducted 3,492,137 total interventions, a 2.5% decrease from FY 2012, driven primarily by a 22.1% drop in traffic enforcement inspections, while roadside inspections increased by 0.8%. The RIEM estimated that these interventions prevented 13,919 crashes, 8,450 injuries, and saved 448 lives. Specifically, the Roadside Inspection Program prevented 9,904 crashes and saved 319 lives, while the Traffic Enforcement Program prevented 4,015 crashes and saved 129 lives. Although total benefits decreased slightly from FY 2012, the model indicates that over the previous 11 years, these programs have saved more than 7,500 lives. The analysis also compared effectiveness by carrier domicile. Non-U.S.-domiciled carriers accounted for approximately 10% of roadside inspections but exhibited higher crash prevention rates per 1,000 interventions (4.85) compared to U.S.-domiciled carriers (2.89), suggesting more severe violations among foreign carriers. The report concludes that the RIEM provides essential data for evaluating the scale and magnitude of highway safety benefits, enabling FMCSA and state managers to assess program execution and guide future resource distribution.

Key finding

Roadside Inspection and Traffic Enforcement programs in FY 2013 prevented 13,919 crashes, 8,450 injuries, and saved 448 lives.

Methodology

modeling

Provenance

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Topics

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• incidence prevalence
• regulatory evaluation
• driver education effectiveness
• comparative international
• automated enforcement cameras

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes