MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT of 1999 (MCSIA)

The Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act (MCSIA) is a federal mandate instituted to enhance highway safety by imposing stricter penalties on those drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles. The new law, which goes into effect September 30, 2005, improves the commercial driver license (CDL) sanctioning process by strengthening the CDL disqualification process through the expansion of violations that result in disqualification. In addition, MCSIA requires states to disqualify CDL drivers who have high risk traffic offenses in their personal vehicles.

In support of MCSIA, two federal agencies, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), issued rulemaking that affects the application process for CDL drivers. The following matrix describes the impact of the new federal requirements on commercial drivers.

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MCSIA PROGRAM NOTES:

ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition) – A program whereby individuals who are accepted into it can have the criminal record expunged after they complete the requirements of the program.

CDLIS (Commercial Driver License Information System) – Nationwide database of all commercial drivers.

DL&C (Driver License & Control System) - PennDOT’s database of all licensed drivers and identification card holders.

PDPS (Problem Driver Pointer System) - Nationwide system that identifies the state(s) where an individual is under suspension. Drivers will have 3 to 6 months to resolve any out-of-state issue prior to renewal.

Disqualification – A prohibition from operating a commercial motor vehicle.

MTO (Major Traffic Offense) – A violation that results in the automatic disqualification of commercial driving privilege. Examples include driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. Two or more major traffic offenses result in a lifetime disqualification. To find a complete list of Major Traffic Offenses, see the Disqualification and Traffic Offenses Fact sheet available at www.dmv.state.pa.us.

STO (Serious Traffic Offense) – A violation that does not automatically result in a disqualification. However, the accumulation of two or more serious traffic offenses within a 3 year period will result in a disqualification. Examples of serious traffic offenses are exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph or more, reckless driving and following too closely. To find a complete list of Serious Traffic Offenses, see the Disqualification and Traffic Offenses Fact Sheet available at www.dmv.state.pa

Out-of-Service Order – An out-of-service order can be placed against a driver, a vehicle or both. A driver is prohibited from driving a commercial vehicle during a period that the driver or vehicle has been placed out of service.