Part of our Operator Questions series. How OCRS turns roadside downloads into an operator score, why a clean encounter lowers it, and what tips a fleet into the red band and heavier enforcement.
This is one of the questions we're regularly asked by transport managers and operators - so here's the straight answer from our analysts.
The Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS) system is the primary enforcement tool utilising tachograph data to identify high risk operators through a metric of performance indicators that calculate a score per operator. Depending on the score value, the operator sits at a colour band that determines the likelihood and potential frequency at which they will be targeted on the road.
Colour bands are rated red for highest risk, amber for medium risk, green for low risk, or blue for operators admitted to the DVSA Earned Recognition Scheme; scores are calculated from a 3 year rolling period of DVSA data: GOV.UK, Operator Compliance Risk Score (OCRS): How you’ll be scored.
The OCRS system derives three scores from two areas, ‘Roadworthiness’ and ‘Traffic’; ‘Roadworthiness’ focuses on maintenance indicators including MOT first time pass rates, roadside inspections, site visits and desk-based assessments. ‘Traffic’ focuses on roadside inspections and prosecutions centred around Drivers’ Hours and tachograph offences. A combined score is divided against the number of ‘encounters’ giving the operator score and colour band.
Vehicle unit downloads obtained during a roadside encounter are uploaded to the DVSA enforcement system which directly affect the operator's score. Key performance indicators such as lead in times and drivers infringements accrue points that negatively affect the score and increase the likelihood of targeted enforcement in the future. Infringement patterns, endemic non-compliance and ‘Most Serious Infringements’ warrant immediate further investigation with the potential for vehicle prohibitions. TE 160(DH) roadside prohibitions are issued specifically for Drivers’ Hours offences.
‘Clear event’ encounters, roadside stops or visits that accrue zero points are highly significant. Operator OCRS scores are divisible by the number of encounters, as such any clear event encounters dramatically reduce the total score and offer the potential to reduce points and colour bands in a single stop. Operators should view enforcement stops as an opportunity to prove compliance and reduce scores. Conversely, high scoring points encounters have the opposite effect.
Digital tachograph data cannot be altered without detection, making OCRS scores an objective and defensible enforcement basis. The data offers a transparent view of an operator’s movements with an unambiguous score that classifies them for potential future enforcement.
Alternative methods for identifying high risk operators through tachograph data include voluntary data submission to DVSA following a roadside stop that requires further investigation. The data will be reviewed and the findings fed into the OCRS system following investigation.
The two sources of information above both centre around roadside stops and raw data analysis, the first is directly at source, an enforcement officer downloading the vehicle unit at the roadside. The second is a request following a negative roadside stop and request for further information. OCRS is the end point for both avenues and the reference source for DVSA.
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