FMCSA to award $30 million in state grants

The DOT encouraged states to apply for the annual CVISN and PRISM grants, designed to further safety technology.    The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) will make up to $30 million available to states through the Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN) and Performance Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM) programs.
   The goal of the two annual grant programs is to increase commercial vehicle safety. Both are designed to assist states in modernizing technology infrastructure to more efficiently collect and disseminate real-time safety data to roadside inspectors and law enforcement personnel.
   FMCSA will award up to $25 million through the CVISN program and an additional $5 million through the PRISM program. The deadline for states to apply for both PRISM and CVISN grants is Feb. 2, 2015.
   CVISN grants focus on improving efficiency through electronic screening of commercial vehicles, enabling online application for and issuance of registration and fuel tax credentials.
   The PRISM program aims to further integrate state CMV registration and licensing systems, enabling states to determine the eligibility of a motor carrier at the time of licensing or registration of the company’s vehicles and automatically suspends or withholds ineligible commercial vehicle registration across states.
   “Safety is our highest priority and we expect that truck and bus companies, and their drivers, are also focused on safety at all times,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Providing our state partners with the most effective tools for identifying unsafe trucks, buses, and commercial drivers in real time is an investment that pays dividends in preventing crashes and saving lives.”
   FMCSA Acting Administrator Scott Darling said the administration “has long embraced the latest technology in pursuit of our mission reducing the number and the severity of crashes involving large trucks and buses. With advanced, real-time data tools, roadside inspectors are able to prioritize carriers for detail inspections based upon their past performance, while assisting law enforcement officers conducting on-scene crash investigations. The value of these technological tools cannot be overstated.”
   FMCSA works with state CMV inspectors and law enforcement personnel to monitor the compliance of commercial vehicle companies and drivers with federal safety regulations.