Accident Reporting and Recordkeeping Flashcards
7 cards from real FMCSA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Accident Reporting and Recordkeeping flashcards as text
Which of the following CMV accidents would NOT be recordable under FMCSA regulations?
Answer: A CMV sideswipes a guardrail with minor damage; the driver changes a flat tire and continues driving
Without any fatality, off-scene medical treatment, or towing required, a minor guardrail scrape with a self-resolved tire change is not recordable.
What is the primary regulatory purpose of requiring motor carriers to maintain an accident register?
Answer: To document safety incidents for regulatory evaluation and carrier self-assessment
The accident register creates a systematic safety record that FMCSA investigators and carriers use to evaluate safety performance and identify trends.
When does vehicle damage make an accident 'recordable' under FMCSA rules?
Answer: When the vehicle must be transported away from the scene because it cannot be driven
Disabling damage that requires a vehicle to be transported away from the scene (towed) is one of the three criteria that makes an accident recordable under 49 CFR 390.15.
How many years of accident register data must be available during an FMCSA compliance review?
Answer: 3 years
Motor carriers must retain accident registers for three years after the date of each accident, making three years of data available for compliance reviews.
Under FMCSA regulations, which of the following triggers recordability for an accident involving bodily injury?
Answer: A person involved in the accident receives medical treatment away from the scene
Bodily injury requiring medical treatment away from the scene of the accident is one of the three criteria that triggers recordability under 49 CFR 390.15.
A CMV driver is involved in a minor collision entirely on private property (a loading dock). Under FMCSA accident register requirements, what applies?
Answer: Private property accidents are not covered under 49 CFR 390.15, which applies to public roads
FMCSA's accident recordability requirements under 49 CFR 390.15 apply to accidents occurring on public roads — private property incidents are outside this scope.
Which of the following best describes a 'preventable' accident in FMCSA compliance terminology?
Answer: An accident that a reasonably alert driver exercising due care could have avoided
FMCSA's preventable accident standard focuses on whether a reasonably careful and alert driver could have taken action to avoid the crash, regardless of fault assignment.