NHTSA Launches New Safety Teams
An expert panel tasked with implementing improvements as well as an internal group in charge of tackling safety risks have been added.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has announced the formation of a three-person Safety Systems Team (SST), as well as an internal Risk Control Innovations Program.
The SST is comprised of outside experts who will spend the next year advising NHTSA on implementation of the changes outlined in the report. The internal program will bring together NHTSA staff from across the agency to address emerging highway safety risks that cut across the agency’s enforcement, vehicle safety and behavioral safety efforts, according to a report.
“NHTSA has identified improvements, some already in progress and some we plan to make, to better investigate, identify and remedy defects that threaten public safety,” said Secretary Anthony Foxx. “With the SST, we are enlisting three of the most experienced and knowledgeable safety professionals in the world to help us implement these changes. And with the Risk Control Innovations Program, we are breaking down stovepipes and reaching into offices from across NHTSA to address safety risks.”
The Risk Control Innovations Program will use multi-disciplinary teams to address problems that fall outside the NHTSA’s specialized programs and to develop individualized solutions.
“Our obligation to save lives and prevent injuries must include sober self-examination, and when we find weaknesses, we have to fix them,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said. “These reports outline how NHTSA is already improving its systems for identifying and addressing vehicle safety defects, and offers options for building the workforce it needs to meet its obligations to the traveling public.”