I found this wonderful picture by doing a simple Google Image search. I couldn't resist using it for this post. It comes from HERE.An Anonymous reader asked this question in response to my last post: Anonymous said, "If the new law is retro, then why don't the seatbelt violations show here. If it's not retro, which is what I thought, then why are your seatbelt violations causing the problem?"
My MVR was generated by the State of AL, which apparently choses not to show or apply points for a seatbelt offense. But according to Traffic Violation Law Firms.com, "Each state has their own statutes and laws surrounding points for traffic violation. Some states do not even have point systems while most others do. Most states would not put a seat belt ticket onto your record as a point, but some may. You would have to check with your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to find out."
But the situation with CSA 2010 doesn't even involve a driver's MVR, and I apologize for giving that impression. I pulled my own MVR for job hunting purposes, because I will need that information to fill out job applications.
The record (or whatever it will be called) my former employer was concerned about will be generated by the FMCSA itself, through something called SafeStat. (The CSA 2010 initiative scheduled to be implemented in July, 2010.) And to answer Anonymous' question, if seatbelt violations are written us as part of a DOT Inspection at a scale, the information is now being stored at the FMCSA - I suppose. My seatbelt tickets were written as such, but I'd also like to reiterate that I had very few MAJOR violations during my inspections.
According to Ask The Trucker:
"It has now been established that violations by drivers and carriers will obtained through SafeStat, a data base provided and maintained by the FMCSA.
This information is sent into the data base through the D.O.T roadside inspections by DOT officers.
Upon its implementation, drivers will receive a score according to a three year look back of this information within the DataBase. (As I currently understand things, this isn't true.)
Trucking Companies will also be investigated and given a safety rating. If both the drivers and companies total point score are at the maximum level, current drivers and companies could immediately be in violation and placed out of service and/or terminated."
There is a lot of information in the Ask The Trucker article AND I URGE EVERYONE TO READ THE ENTIRE THING IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN CSA 2010.
There's one other important thing to note from Ask The Trucker's article. Right now a driver's information is being stored by the FMCSA - a department of the Executive Branch of the U. S. Government - under SafeStat. You (apparently) can request the imformation under the Freedom of Information Act.
However, when the program goes into full effect this summer, the information, or database, will be stored by NIC Technologies out of Olathe, Kansas, and "...reports showing your driver score will cost $10...."
I haven't searched the FMCSA's website yet, so I still have a lot of research to do. I will be making subsequent posts about it, but my main priority is to find a job. I've ordered a copy of my DAC report, and once it gets here, I'll put my work history back together and begin that arduous task. I hope it's possible, because again, according to Ask The Trucker's article, "This is why the FMCSA, itself, has projected that 175,000 drivers could lose their jobs as soon as CSA2010 is implemented. Furthermore, they project that 47.9% of the U. S. trucking companies could fail"
