PERFORMANCE REGISTRATION INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND MANAGEMENT
(PRISM)
(207) 624-9056

PRISM OVERVIEW:

Maine is a member of the PRISM program. PRISM is a federal/state partnership to identify motor carriers with deficient safety records, and to tie a carrier’s safety fitness to the ability to register trucks. PRISM links the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) motor carrier safety information with the state’s motor vehicle registration process to achieve two purposes:

1. To determine the motor carrier’s safety fitness prior to issuing a registration plate.
2. To cause the unsafe carrier to improve its safety performance through an improvement process and, where necessary, the application of registration sanctions.

The PRISM program includes two major processes: The commercial vehicle registration process (IRP registration), and enforcement. These programs work in tandem to identify motor carriers and to hold them responsible for the safety of their operations. The performance of unsafe motor carriers is improved through a comprehensive system of identification, education, awareness, safety monitoring, and treatment.

Commercial Vehicle registration process.

The IRP registration process provides the framework for PRISM. The registration process serves two basic functions: First, it establishes a system for identifying the carrier responsible for the safe operation of trucks. Second, the use of registration denial and suspension provides a powerful incentive for unsafe carriers to improve their safety performance.

The USDOT number is used to identify both the motor carrier responsible for safety and the individual vehicle registrant (if different). The carrier’s safety fitness is checked prior to issuing vehicle registrations. Unfit carriers may be denied the ability to register their vehicles.

Carriers, registrants, and owner-operators are given information on safety performance. Concerned personnel can take steps to improve carrier safety. If an owner-operator or a registrant leases to an unsafe motor carrier, the owner-operator or registrant is notified of the carrier’s MCSIP status.

Enforcement.

Enforcement is the process by which carrier safety is systematically tracked and improved. The process is designed to improve the safety performance of carriers with demonstrated poor safety performance through accelerated identification, performance monitoring, and treatment. When a carrier is identified as needing improvement in safety practices, the carrier enters the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Process (MCSIP). Under MCSIP, carriers with potential safety problems are identified and prioritized for on-site reviews using the Motor Carrier Safety Status (SAFESTAT) program. SAFESTAT makes maximum use of crash, driver, vehicle and safety management data to develop an overall indicator of carrier fitness that is used to prioritize carriers for possible on-site reviews.

PRISM BENEFITS

PRISM has demonstrated the following benefits: PRISM improves carrier safety by identifying the party responsible for the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles. Safety events such as inspections, crashes, and violations involving a PRISM vehicle can be tied back to the responsible motor carrier.

The principal means of identifying a potentially poor performing carrier is through the accumulation of carrier, vehicle, and driver-specific events that are linked to the carrier through the USDOT number. Carriers are identified, treated and released from a safety improvement program based on demonstrated highway performance after the safety treatment has been applied.

A motor carrier’s performance is evaluated using all available data including roadside inspections, compliance reviews, crashes, and enforcement history. This safety information is updated continuously.

Improve productivity and improved data quality.

PRISM has increased the efficiency and effectiveness of federal and state safety efforts through the efficient allocation of scarce resources; and the use of warning letters as an effective, inexpensive alternative to on-site compliance reviews for carriers with less severe safety problems.

PRISM has improved the accuracy and timeliness of motor carrier data by development of a procedure to obtain current motor carrier census data as a part of the vehicle registration process; the development of a procedure to use the vehicle license plate number to more accurately assign inspection and crash data to the responsible motor carrier; and by the development of automated data collection procedures in the field to properly assign safety events to the proper motor carrier.

Data Quality Improvement.

PRISM is a data-driven process. Increasing the quality and accuracy of available data improves the accuracy and efficiency and effectiveness of the program. The USDOT number will be used at the vehicle, registrant, and carrier level to track safety events. Warning letters provide effective feed back to carriers. Carriers will have the opportunity to dispute and correct their safety-related information.

Summary.

PRISM is a federal/state partnership designed to improve highway safety by identifying motor carriers with unsatisfactory safety ratings. It is a data-driven program. Only those few carriers determined to be unsafe will be affected by PRISM. PRISM will be administered as a part of the International Registration Program.