The Operator Compliance Risk Score is a resource targetting method whereby VOSA calculate how much of a risk to road safety your operation might be. It is important to understand how it works and to maintain a good score. In particular, you should know how the following work:

• Risk Level banding including the Grey band.
• Targeting priorities
• Seriousness of events changing with age
• How points are awarded
• Straight to red rule for the most serious infringements
• Keeping in the Green
• Monitoring your Compliance

Operators are placed into one of four risk-level bands for each of the following: the 'roadworthiness' score (which is based on the annual test pass / fail rates and unroadworthy vehicle usage detected by roadside inspections and prohibitions) and the 'overall traffic' score (which will include events such as driving hours' infringements and overloading offences). The bands are Red, Amber, Green and Grey. Grey banding applies to operating licences with no history of VOSA encounters in the last three years. A new licence is automatically put into that band and multiple operating licences held by the same operator are not linked. 

We understand that the targeting priority means that grey operators (operators with no score) are the second most targeted band; if an operator has no score they will be more likely to be pulled over if they have an amber or green score. 

There will also be fewer points for older events; events will become less serious as they age, so an event from 2010 will be considered less serious than an identical event from 2012.

A VOSA FAQ on the topic, detailing how points are awarded, can be found here

The straight to red rule, which puts operators into the red band for a limited time if they are prosecuted for a single serious infringement, also comes into play if an infringement is detected.

Keeping in the green band, therefore, means more than simply passing vehicle annual tests first time (though this is a very important first step and should be monitored). It means putting into place those procedures which will monitor all compliance day-to-day. Spot checking DDRs, driving hours' records, vehicle weights and roadworthiness (including maintenance providers) should all be part of the operator's armourery. We can assist with that by offering advice, auditing and training services and would welcome you to get in touch.

Below are links to instructions on:

monitoring your OCRS,

monitoring your roadside encounters

monitoring your MOT pass rate

managing your operating licence online

If you want more advice on compliance we can offer auditing and compliance advice, click here.