CSA being audited by Inspector General over data quality

Updated Jan 18, 2013

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General has initiated an audit of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Compliance, Safety, and Accountability program.

This month, the OIG began assessing whether CSA has adequate controls to ensure the quality of the data used to evaluate carrier performance and risk. The office also will examine if the program effectively implemented enforcement interventions.

The House highways and transit subcommittee held a Sept. 13 hearing over concerns regarding CSA data and methodology. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. (R-Tenn.) then subcommittee chairman and ranking member Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) requested the OIG report on the program by Aug. 1.

The OIG will coordinate its audit with the Government Accountability Office, which was mandated in a 2011 appropriations bill to review CSA’s identification of high risk carriers.