Full explanation
The Crash Indicator BASIC measures a carrier's history of involvement in reportable crashes — those resulting in a fatality, injury requiring medical treatment away from the scene, or a vehicle being towed from the scene. Unlike other BASICs that use inspection violations, the Crash Indicator uses actual crash data from the FMCSA MCMIS database. Crashes are weighted by severity (fatal > injury > tow-away) and recency (more recent crashes count more heavily). The score is normalized by a carrier's exposure: estimated vehicle-miles traveled based on power units and average mileage assumptions. The intervention threshold is the 65th percentile. Importantly, crash accountability (who caused the crash) is NOT considered in the BASIC calculation — all reportable crashes count regardless of fault. This has been a major criticism of the CSA program, as carriers involved in not-at-fault crashes (e.g., being rear-ended) still see their Crash Indicator score increase. Despite this limitation, research shows the Crash Indicator has moderate predictive value for future crash involvement.
Source: FMCSA: Crash Data
Frequently asked questions
Does the Crash Indicator consider fault?
No. All reportable crashes count regardless of which party was at fault. This is a significant criticism of the CSA program — a carrier rear-ended by a passenger vehicle still receives the same crash indicator impact as one that caused the accident.
What makes a crash 'reportable' to FMCSA?
A crash is reportable if it involves a commercial motor vehicle and results in: a fatality, an injury requiring immediate medical treatment away from the scene, or any vehicle being towed from the scene due to disabling damage.
Is the Crash Indicator public?
FMCSA currently does not display the Crash Indicator percentile publicly through its SMS website due to ongoing litigation over the fault-blind methodology. However, the underlying crash data is available in public records.
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