FMCSA issues guidance on recording fire incidents

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently issued guidance on the definition of “accident” regarding commercial motor vehicle fires. Fires have been included in the definition of accidents since 1962; however, when simplifying regulatory text, specific references to fires were removed.

The guidance clarifies that a fire or explosion in a CMV operating on a highway in interstate or intrastate commerce would be considered an “accident” if it resulted in a fatality, bodily injuries requiring immediate medical attention away from the scene, or disabling damage requiring a vehicle to be towed. The guidance applies to both collision and noncollision incidents.

Any CMV fire that meets this definition is a recordable accident that must be recorded on an accident register, and will be considered in the safety fitness determination.