Transportation Safety


Seattle Stats Show Rechannelization Works Well

The Nickerson Street rechannelization has reduced speeding and collisions without affecting traffic volumes. Such projects are among nine proven countermeasures recommended by FHWA in January.

CSX 'Play it Safe' Campaign Riding with Sprint Cup Team

Regan Smith, who drives the No. 78 Chevrolet for a team based in Denver, is ranked 19th after finishing 20th in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 in Phoenix.

OSHA Orders Shipping Firm to Reinstate Whistleblower, Pay $190,000

An employee was allegedly terminated after reporting safety concerns about the brakes on his truck and refusing to violate U.S. Department of Transportation regulations for allowable driving and rest hours.

Derailed Train's Brakes Not Applied, Investigators Find

The Feb. 26 VIA Rail accident in Burlington, Ontario demolished the locomotive and killed three crewmen in it.

Manhattan Elevator Fatality Triggers Suspension

Suzanne Hart, 41, died on Dec. 14, 2011, as she was entering elevator number 9 at 285 Madison Ave. and it accelerated upward with its doors open. Two city departments have suspended the license of the elevator maintenance firm.

Renewed Push for Cargo Airlines to Opt In

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood reportedly is scheduled to meet with UPS executives March 1 to ask the airline to voluntarily opt into the new FAA rule on pilot fatigue.

The FAA rule limits flight time to eight or nine hours, depending on the start time of the entire duty period for that pilot.

FAA Takes Aim at Pilots' Fatigue

"I think that the new rule the FAA has finalized is a great step forward when it comes to addressing fatigue in aviation," says NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman.

FAA Bids to Raise Requirements for First Officers

The proposed rule published in the Feb. 29 Federal Register would require them to hold an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, for which substantially more flight hours are needed.



Rena's Chief Officers Plead Guilty, Sentencing May 25

The names of the master and second officer of the container ship that ran aground on New Zealand's Astrolabe Reef on Oct. 5, 2010, have been suppressed while their case is before the courts.

NTSB Sets Distraction Countermeasures Forum

The March 27 forum in Washington, D.C., will delve into distracted driving laws, enforcement strategies, education, and technologies to prevent distractions.

ARPA-E Opens Third Annual Energy Innovation Summit

The three-day event began Feb. 27 with workshops for technology developers involved in zero-carbon power, electrical storage, emerging ideas, and other topics.

Decision Time Nears for Iowa's State Transportation Plan

Six public informational meetings to explain the long-range transportation plan will begin March 6 in Sioux City. While Iowa DOT says Iowa is "at a major crossroads concerning transportation investments," most comments fielded last year by a Citizen Advisory Commission supported raising the state's fuel tax.

NHTSA's New Guidance Lists Unsafe Driver Distractions

Opting for a recommendation rather than a rule, in part because the costs and benefits cannot be accurately estimated, the agency said manual text entry, reading more than 30 characters, and automatically scrolling text are per se unsafe.

Advisory Reminds Pipeline Operators About Post-Incident Testing

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued the new bulletin in response to NTSB's report on the San Bruno, Calif., explosion.

Concept Boat Answers Women's Concerns

It may not be flashy, but the All aboard boasts a combined water slide and rescue ramp and an integrated gangway in the side of the boat. Interviews with 1,000 women helped designers come up with it.

Gas Station Explosion Leads to Fla. Firms' $77,000 Fine

A delivery driver was refilling an above-ground gasoline storage tank that had a broken gauge. The tank overflowed, and the combination of vapors and heat from the running delivery truck caused an explosion.

Nevada Approves Autonomous Cars for Public Roads

DMV Director Bruce Breslow said becoming the first state to OK them means Nevada has embraced "what is surely the future for automobiles."

Have TaxiBot, Will Travel

The vehicles being developed by Airbus and Israel Aerospace Industries will be operated by commercial aircraft pilots from their cockpits, eliminating the need to use the planes' main engines during ground taxi.

PHMSA Announces Availability of $1 Million in Pipeline Safety Grants

Grant applications are being accepted through March 9, 2012, and the agency will award a total of $1 million by summer 2012. Nonprofit organizations, cities, and similar governmental subdivisions, or consortiums of such subdivisions, are eligible to receive the grants.

DOT Proposes Rules to Limit Use of Electronics in Vehicles

The proposed voluntary guidelines would apply to communications, entertainment, information gathering, and navigation devices or functions that are not required to safely operate the vehicle.

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