Your company should have a standard accident reporting procedure in place, to ensure that accidents are handled correctly and immediately. Drivers and managers should then be familiar with the procedures. A short form accident report works well for telephone reports from drivers and should contain the basic information necessary for immediate handling. Information might include: date and time of call, driver’s name, location, cargo, description of accident, injuries, fatalities, damage, vehicles involved, whether police have been called, etc. Your procedure should include phone numbers for drivers to call, in case of emergency during weekends and evenings, and briefly how to handle the situation at the scene. Ask your insurance company claims department for additional assistance in this area. Be prepared and ensure everyone involved understands the procedures.
Accident Tracking & Analysis
We often recommend that motor carriers, of all sizes, keep good records of all accidents and incidents. Good records assist in analyzing accidents for trends. This can be accomplished either manually or by a computer program designed for that purpose, such as J.J. Keller’s “Incident Investigator” software. J.J. Keller says this software allows a carrier to enter detailed accident information, including costs; allows for documenting all conversations, paperwork and communication; and performs historical analyses and generates graphic trend reports. J.J. Keller’s can be contacted by phone at 800-327-1342, or on the net at www.jjkeller.com.
§390.3 General applicability. (a) The rules in Subchapter B of this chapter are applicable to all employers, employees, and commercial motor vehicles, which transport property or passengers in interstate commerce.
Definition of “Commercial Motor Vehicle”
Commercial motor vehicle means any self-propelled or towed motor vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport passengers or property when the vehicle--
(1) Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating, or gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight, of 4,537 kg (10,001 lbs.) or more, whichever is greater; or
(2) Is designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation; or
(3) Is designed or used to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver, and is not used to transport passengers for compensation; or
(4) Is used in transporting material found by the Secretary of Transportation to be hazardous under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and transported in a quantity requiring placarding under regulations prescribed by the Secretary under 49 CFR, subtitle B, chapter I, subchapter C.
Definition of “Interstate Commerce”
Interstate commerce means trade, traffic, or transportation in the United States--
(1) Between a place in a State and a place outside of such State (including a place outside of the United States);
(2) Between two places in a State through another State or a place outside of the United States; or
(3) Between two places in a State as part of trade, traffic, or transportation originating or terminating outside the State or the United States.
Intrastate commerce means any trade, traffic, or transportation in any State, which is not described in the term "Interstate commerce."