Post-Accident Clock
DispatchStart your shift when you are ready.
On call at the safety office
Three crashes will come in. For each one, decide whether DOT requires a post-accident test, then handle what comes next. The clock runs fast.
A practice game, not DER training.Answers show up here when a call comes in.
When FMCSA requires a post-accident test
For each surviving driver of a commercial motor vehicle in a crash on a public road, under 49 CFR 382.303. The ticket must be for a moving violation arising from the crash.
| What happened | Ticket | DOT test |
|---|---|---|
| Someone died | Not needed | Alcohol and drugs |
| Someone was injured and immediately treated away from the scene | Our driver ticketed | Alcohol and drugs |
| A vehicle was towed away with disabling damage | Our driver ticketed | Alcohol and drugs |
| Injury or tow-away, but our driver was not ticketed | None, or only the other driver | No DOT test |
| Only loading or unloading cargo | Does not matter | No DOT test |
- Alcohol: 2 hoursNot done in 2 hours? Keep trying until 8 and write down why. After 8 hours, stop and write down why.
- Drugs: 32 hoursAfter 32 hours, stop trying and write down why.
- A late ticketAlcohol needs a ticket within 8 hours of the crash; drugs, within 32. The clock still starts at the crash.
49 CFR 382.303(a)–(d), (h)
What a day on call covers
Test or not
Deaths, injuries treated away from the scene, tow-aways, whose ticket counts, and the cargo exception.
Course modules: Module 13: Testing Decisions and Deadlines
49 CFR 382.303(a), (b), (h)
The clock
Alcohol by 2 hours, stop at 8, drugs by 32, a late ticket, and what to write down when a test runs late.
Course modules: Module 13: Testing Decisions and Deadlines
49 CFR 382.303(a)(2), (b)(2), (d)
After the call
A driver who wants to go home, a beer while he waits, a police breath test, and a company test request.
Course modules: Module 13: Testing Decisions and Deadlines · Module 11: Coverage and Program Responsibilities · Module 2: DER Authority and Routing
49 CFR 382.303(e), (g); 382.209; 40.13
Questions about Post-Accident Clock
Is Post-Accident Clock free, and do I need an account?
It is free and needs no account. Your report shows on the page; an email address is only needed if you want a copy sent to you.
Does playing Post-Accident Clock count as DER training?
No. It is a free practice game about one part of a DER’s job: post-accident testing for motor carriers. It is not a course, it does not create a training record, and it is not legal advice. FMCSA DER Training covers the whole program, Part 40 procedures and Part 382, with quizzes, a final assessment and a certificate.
When does FMCSA require a post-accident drug and alcohol test?
Under 49 CFR 382.303, test each surviving driver after a crash on a public road if someone died, whether or not the driver was ticketed. Without a death, test only if the driver gets a ticket for a moving violation arising from the crash and either someone is injured and immediately treated away from the scene, or a vehicle is towed away with disabling damage. The alcohol test needs a ticket within 8 hours; the drug test, within 32 hours.
What are the deadlines for post-accident tests?
Alcohol tests are due within 2 hours of the crash. If one is not done by then, keep trying until 8 hours and write down why it was late; after 8 hours, stop and write down why. Drug tests must be done within 32 hours; after that, stop and write down why. The clock starts at the crash, not when you hear about it.
How accurate is the game?
Every rule comes from 49 CFR 382.303, 382.209 and 40.13 as published on the eCFR. The crashes are made up, the clock runs fast, and each crash has one follow-up so a day fits in about three minutes. It covers FMCSA motor carrier rules only; FAA, FRA, FTA, PHMSA and Coast Guard employers follow their own post-accident rules.
Run the whole testing program, not just the crash calls
FMCSA DER Training covers Part 40 procedures and Part 382: results, refusals, return to duty, Clearinghouse queries, post-accident testing and records. Online and self-paced in English and Spanish, with a certificate when you finish.