What’s a DOT accident and what is a non-preventable accident? The difference between preventable and non-preventable is important.
A DOT accident is a collision that results in either a fatality, an injury that requires immediate medical treatment or disabling damage to any vehicle involved. They’re tracked to monitor safety and are reported to the government. They remain on your driver record for the next five years.
The FMCSA defines several types of accidents as non-preventable. A few examples include being hit in the rear, being hit while parked and being hit by someone under the influence.
If you’re unsure if your crash fits into one of these categories, visit https://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov/ for more information. This site will also allow you to submit an inquiry if you think you were involved in a non-preventable accident but it wasn’t labeled as such.
Learn more about how DOT accidents affect your CSA score.