Transportation Safety


NSC Aims to Reduce Teen Distracted Driving

Drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 are involved in fatal crashes at more than twice the rate as the rest of the population.

This PHMSA photo shows the point where a 30-inch crude oil pipeline of Enbridge Energy Partners ruptured near Marshall, Mich., on July 26, 2010, leaking 819,000 gallons. The agency issued its final Corrective Action Order to Enbridge on Sept. 22.

New Rules Coming for Onshore Hazardous Liquid Pipelines

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration may expand its definition of High Consequence Area, set leak detection requirements for all pipelines, and require measures to prevent stress corrosion cracking.

Experts to Discuss Aging Drivers' Safety at NTSB Forum

The Nov. 9-10 event includes experts from several DOT agencies, Volvo and Ford Motor, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and academia to discuss driver, vehicle, and roadway factors.

FMCSA Shows Off New CMV Inspection Technologies

New technologies demonstrated at the Commercial Motor Vehicle Technology Showcase last week in Tennessee promise to make roadside inspections faster and more comprehensive, according to FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro.

Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge Completed

Opening to traffic this week, the bridge was dedicated Oct. 14 and is the longest single-span concrete arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

Airline Fined $455,175 for Excessive Oil Consumption, Maintenance Violations

FAA alleges that Corporate Air operated the aircraft on at least 80 flights in spite of continued evidence of excessive oil consumption by the right engine.

Skydiving Company Lands $664,000 in Fines for FAA Safety Violations

FAA alleges that the company operated an aircraft on approximately 2,121 flights between March 21, 2008, and Nov. 4, 2009, with elevator control cables that were overdue for replacement and when the plane was not in compliance with Airworthiness Directives requiring visual inspections of the wing main spar, lower spar cap extensions, and wing support strut for possible corrosion.

The FAA proposed rule will require certificate holders with 10 or more helicopter air ambulances to establish operations control centers.

FAA Publishes New Air Ambulance Regulation

Making certificate holders with 10 or more helicopter air ambulances establish operations control centers is one facet of the proposal, which is intended to make helicopter air ambulance flights safer nationwide.



Transportation Fatalities Drop in 2009; Pipeline, Marine Deaths Rise

"While statistics show that transportation fatalities have declined this past year, we continue to see far too many accidents in all segments of the transportation community,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman.

Stronger Warning from FAA on Lithium Batteries

The agency on Friday alerted operators that the UPS cargo plane that crashed in Dubai on Sept. 3 was carrying large quantities of lithium batteries and that Halon 1301, the suppression agent used in Class C cargo compartments, is ineffective in controlling a lithium metal cell fire.

FAA Proposes Stricter Safety Rules for Helicopter Operators

Under the proposed rules, operators would use the latest on-board technology and equipment to avoid terrain and obstacles. The proposal also contains provisions which, if finalized, would require operators to use enhanced procedures for flying in challenging weather, at night, and when landing in remote locations.

OSHA Launches Online Resource to Prevent Distracted Driving

A new webpage aimed at those whose workplaces are the cars, vans, and trucks that deliver the goods and services on which the nation's economy depends, and their employers, is intended to offer best practices and policies on achieving safe workplaces in motor vehicles.

New Aviation Board Plans to Improve Safety, Global Representation

"They will be joining current directors, with leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), to build and begin implementation of a five-year strategic plan that will improve aviation safety as well as global representation for our worldwide membership,” said Michele Dickstein, president of ASA.

NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman has been announced March 11, 2014, as the National Safety Council

House Passes Four-Year NTSB Reauthorization

H.R. 4714 would increase the agency's funding by 15 percent during the next four fiscal years, allowing it to increase its personnel and take on more investigations, U.S. Rep. James Oberstar said.

NSC Commends DOL, OSHA for Action on Distracted Driving

The National Safety Council recently applauded Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels for their leadership in reducing work-related distracted driving.

Engaging Education Sessions Await Congress Attendees

The Executive Edge Track returns to the 2010 Congress & Expo this year with the aim to engage business leaders and advance EHS management through cross-sharing and leader-to-leader discussions. In addition, more than 120 additional Technical Sessions are being offered this year on a wide range of hot topics. With enforcement targeting distracted driving in many parts of the country, many sessions are geared toward driver and transportation safety.

Airline Hit with $4.855 Million Fine for Failing to Properly Train Pilots

FAA alleges Evergreen line pilots received ground training and a check ride on the new FMS, but that the company did not provide required familiarization flights supervised by the company’s check pilots despite being told to do so by FAA.

Employer policies against distracted driving will be a focal point of the Sept. 21 summit in Washington, D.C.

Two DOT Agencies Publish Texting Final Rules

Commercial motor vehicle drivers and railroad personnel are affected, with fines and suspensions possible for two or more serious violations within a three-year period by a CMV driver. A third agency, PHMSA, proposed its own texting rule Monday.

FMCSA Shifts Schedule for Calculating Driver Crash Rates

Instead of calculating them on a calendar-year basis for purposes of deciding hazardous materials safety permit eligibility, it will use a fiscal-year basis starting Oct. 1 to give motor carriers three months to preview the rates.

Truck Driver Appreciation Week Under Way

American Trucking Associations-affiliated carriers are holding events this week, presenting million-mile safety awards and bonuses. One of the big participants is Walmart, which is recognizing its more than 7,900 drivers in events this week.

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