Category breakdown

Where a driver's risk points come from

The same ledger rolled up by category. On the 1-10 scale these are the SMS BASICs; on the enhanced 1-2 scale, the compliance categories FMCSA announced in 2024. The bars always sum to the ledger total.

Driver file

Severity scale

Each violation carries a 1-10 severity weight, plus 2 when it put the driver or vehicle out of service.

SMS BASICs · Driver B-2207

45 pts → index 53

Unsafe Driving (3 events)32 pts

Conviction: Speeding 6-10 mph over
minor conviction · 3 mo · sev 4 x 3
12
Conviction: Failure to obey a traffic control device
minor conviction · 20 mo · sev 5 x 1
5
Following too closely
392.2FC · 49 CFR 392.2 · 5 mo · sev 5 x 3
15

HOS Compliance (0 events)0 pts

Vehicle Maintenance (1 event)12 pts

Brakes out of adjustment
393.47 · 49 CFR 393.47 · 11 mo · sev 6* x 2
12

Controlled Substances/Alcohol (0 events)0 pts

Driver Fitness (0 events)0 pts

Crash Indicator (1 event)1 pt

Tow-away crash - preventability undetermined
PSP crash record (MCMIS) · 22 mo · sev 1 x 1
1

Per-inspection cap

The severities one inspection adds to one category are capped at 30 before time weighting, counted worst-first. Nothing in this file reaches the cap; the “One severe inspection” sample file does.

Recency

Weight 3 up to 6 months, 2 up to 12, 1 up to 24; older events score zero. Guideline rules still see a fatal crash up to five years back.

Adapted to one driver

FMCSA's SMS scores carriers against peer groups. Here its mechanics are applied to a single driver file. The categories explain a decision; they are not an official driver score.