DOT initiates audit of FMCSA’s medical certificate program
Posted February 22, 2019
An audit of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) oversight of commercial driver medical certificates has been initiated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).
A rise in fatalities involving large trucks and buses was cited as the reason for the audit, according to a DOT memorandum dated February 20, 2019. Fatal crashes grew 11 percent annually from 2012 to 2017, from 4,397 in 2012 to 4,879 in 2017, according to FMCSA data quoted in the memorandum.
The memo stated the audit would begin immediately.
“One key area of addressing motor carrier safety is to ensure that commercial drivers maintain a valid medical certificate, which confirms they are healthy enough to safely operate the commercial vehicle,” the DOT said.
The objectives of the OIG audit are to evaluate the FMCSA’s procedures for:
- Oversight of its medical certificate program, including commercial driver medical certificate data quality; and
- Validating information in its National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners.
J. J. Keller's DOT Medical Exams: The Complete Guide is a comprehensive medical exam reference for motor carriers, drivers and medical professionals.
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