Transportation Safety


United States and Cuba Agree to Restore Air Service

DOT has launched a process to award new flights, and the airlines are lining up to apply.

National Safety Plan Proposed for Public Transit Systems

Therese McMillan, acting administrator of the Federal Transit Authority, said the proposals "are about setting safety performance criteria and targets, voluntary minimum safety standards, and a means to communicate safety issues industry-wide."

American Bureau of Shipping Publishes Cybersecurity Guidance

It is the first volume in the ABS CyberSafety™ series, which covers best practices in four key areas: cybersecurity, automated systems safety, data management and software assurance.

This screen shot is from underwater video of the sunken El Faro, discovered in 15,000 feet of water off the Bahamas in October 2015 after it sank during Hurricane Joaquin. (NTSB video)

Coast Guard Hearings on El Faro Sinking Starting Feb. 16

Convened in Jacksonville, the hearings will examine the loss of the container ship El Faro and all of its 33 crewmembers last October; NTSB investigated the sinking and is participating in the hearings.

NTSB Issues Recommendations on Lithium Batteries in Air Cargo

The board has asked PHMSA to require that lithium batteries be physically separated from other flammable hazardous materials stowed on cargo aircraft and also to set maximum loading density requirements that limit the quantities of lithium batteries and flammable hazardous materials on board.

Ten Dead After Trains Collide in Germany

At least 17 are also critically injured after two trains collided head-on.

DOT Sees Alarming Rise in Roadway Deaths, Opens Regional Summit

"We're seeing red flags across the U.S. and we’re not waiting for the situation to develop further," said Dr. Mark Rosekind, NHTSA's administrator. "It's time to drive behavioral changes in traffic safety, and that means taking on new initiatives and addressing persistent issues like drunk driving and failure to wear seat belts."

Saying Farewell to Clearview Highway Signs

They will not be approved for use on public roads after Feb. 23, but the signs won't have to be removed until they reach the end of their useful life, FHWA Administrator Gregory G. Nadeau reported.



NTSB concluded this Alaska Department of Public Safety helicopter crashed in March 2013 because the pilot decided to continue flying into deteriorating weather conditions and also stemmed from the department

New Show Spotlights Work of NTSB's Alaska 'Go Team'

NIOSH has reported that, from 1990 through 2009, aviation crashes in Alaska killed 149 pilots, resulting in a very high annual pilot fatality rate of 287 per 100,000 pilots.

DOT Ready to Celebrate 50th Birthday

Six of his predecessors joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx on Feb. 3 at a ceremony kicking off celebrations of DOT's 50th year. He explained that DOT soon will have a video of the ceremony online and asked readers to visit DOT's 50th Anniversary website, which includes documents about the department's creation.

Fatigue, High Workload Cited in ATSB Investigative Report

A network control officer intervened to prevent a collision when an operator drove an empty Sydney Trains passenger train in the wrong direction in March 2015.

Truck Manufacturer Up to 170,000 Connected Vehicles

Scania's first digital Fleet Management services were launched in the early 2000s, using information obtained from the vehicles' electronic management systems to analyze fuel consumption, wear and tear, and also how a driver shifted gears, braked, and used the engine's speed range.

EDC-4 Ideas Due By Jan. 31

FHWA launched the EDC initiative in 2009 in cooperation with its partners to speed up the delivery of highway projects and create a broad culture of innovation within the highway community. It is a state-based model to identify and rapidly deploy proven but underutilized innovations to shorten the project delivery process, enhance roadway safety, reduce congestion, and improve environmental sustainability.

Federal Offices Closed in Nation's Capital, Transit Running Limited Schedule

Federal offices in the Washington, D.C., area are closed on Monday, Jan. 25, as the area continues to dig out from the weekend blizzard that dumped 20 inches or more on the city.

Drone Registrations Start Well, FAA Chief Says

During the first 30 days after the registry went online, 295,306 people registered their unmanned aircraft and took advantage of a $5 registration fee rebate.

Truck Driver Fired for Reporting Truck Safety Concerns: OSHA

OSHA has ordered the employer to pay lost wages, along with $10,000 in punitive damages and $3,060.02 in attorney's fees, and also to expunge the driver's employment records.

Increased Enforcement Leads to FRA's Highest-Ever Penalty Collection Rate

In an effort to increase overall rail safety, enforcement has been stepped-up.

The proposed rule would replace the current three-tier system of "satisfactory-conditional-unsatisfactory" for federally regulated commercial motor carriers with a single determination of "unfit."

FMCSA Proposes Rule to Focus on Higher-Risk Motor Carriers

"This update to our methodology will help the agency focus on carriers with a higher crash risk," said FMCSA Acting Administrator Scott Darling. "Carriers that we identify as unfit to operate will be removed from our roadways until they improve."

FHWA is seeking input in eraly 2016 on improving the ability to view content in the 862-page MUTCD and developing a structure to make it easier to use.

Highways Agency Seeks Input on Modernizing MUTCD

FHWA is seeking input by Feb. 18 on improving users' ability to view content in the 862-page MUTCD and developing a structure to make it easier to use.

DOT Investing $4 Billion to Accelerate Vehicle Safety Innovations

The agency has cleared administrative hurdles for new safety technologies.

Featured

Artificial Intelligence

Webinars