Instructions:

Indicate whether the vehicle displayed a hazardous materials placard.

Definition:

This field indicates whether or not the motor vehicle had a hazardous materials placard displayed as required by Federal/State regulations. A hazardous materials placard is required to be affixed to any motor vehicle transporting quantities of hazardous materials in quantities above the thresholds established by the USDOT, capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety and property when transported in commerce. This placard identifies the hazard class division number, 4- digit hazardous material identification number, or name of the hazardous material being transported.

Rationale:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) devotes special attention to motor carriers that transport hazardous materials (HM), including calculating risk assessments, determining response methods, imposing tighter regulations and conducting compliance reviews on a higher percentage of HM carriers. Getting good data on crashes involving trucks carrying HM and whether HM are spilled during the crashes helps FMCSA focus their law enforcement efforts.

Code Attribute Definition Example
1 Yes If yes, placards should be on all four sides of the vehicle. For containers with bulk packages inside, the transport vehicle must be marked on each side and each end if the required ID# marking is not visible.
2 No This would be used for a vehicle that was transporting hazardous materials without the appropriate placard affixed to the vehicle.
3 Not Applicable This would be used for a vehicle that was not transporting hazardous materials.