Transportation Safety


FHWA Awards $53 Million in Congestion Management Grants

The agency evaluated 51 applications requesting more than $265 million in all.

Taking Aim at Rail Trespasser Casualties

More people are struck and killed by trains each year while trespassing than in motor vehicle collisions with trains at highway-rail grade crossings.

ATRI Board Approves 2019 Research Agenda

The research topics cover several critical industry issues, including truck parking, younger driver safety, the return on investment of new truck safety technologies, and the impact of "nuclear" verdicts on the trucking industry.

NTSB Roundtable to Feature Truckers' Perspectives on Distracted Driving

It will take place April 11 in Houston, largest city of one of the worst states for distracted driving deaths.

DOT to Form Special Committee to Review FAA Aircraft Certification Process

The Department of Transportation announced Monday the establishment of an expert Special Committee to review the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) process for the certification of new aircraft, including the Boeing 737 MAX.

WMATA May Subsidize Late-Night Workers' Rides

According to the transit agency, the program is intended to benefit overnight workers affected by changes in Metrorail's operating hours to support improved maintenance, safety, and reliability. Eligible workers are primarily in the hospitality and health care industries.

DOT clearly has jurisdiction over the truck on the highway, but OSHA regulations generally govern workers’ safety and health and the responsibilities of employers to ensure their safety at the warehouse, the dock, and in all places trucker drivers go to deliver and pick up loads.

FMCSA Helping Stakeholders Prepare for Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse

Commercial Driver's License holders, employers, state driver licensing agencies, medical review officers, and substance abuse professionals will begin using the agency's CDL Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse in January 2020.

Contract Awarded for Security of Canada's Connected Vehicles

A contract valued at up to $1.3 million has been awarded to ESCRYPT to advance the development of a Canadian Security Credential Management System for connected vehicles.



Sacramento's Electric Car Share Program Expanded to All Residents

"Gig is thrilled to bring the largest all-electric car sharing service in the United States to Sacramento, a city that's becoming recognized as a worldwide leader in zero-emission energy," said Jason Haight, president of GIG Car Share.

In 2014, 669 fatalities occurred in highway work zones -- a slight increase over the previous year. While work zone fatalities are about half of what they were 15 years ago, there is still more work to be done, FHWA Deputy Administrator David Kim said.

Caltrans Replacing Guardrail End Sections

Caltrans recently announced it has begun replacing approximately 800 X-Lite guardrail end terminals on the state highway system because the terminals do not meet field performance expectations.

Three NTSB Investigators Sent to France to Assist Crash Investigation

Three investigators with expertise in recorders, flight crew operations, and human factors have been sent to France to assist with the downloading and analysis of flight recorders from the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 that crashed March 10 shortly after takeoff from the airport in Addis Ababa.

Automakers Making Progress on Braking Technology Deadline

The participating automakers voluntarily committed by Sept. 1, 2022, to equip virtually all new light-duty cars and trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less with a low-speed AEB system that includes forward collision warning and crash imminent braking, to help prevent and mitigate front-to-rear crashes.

US Joins Canada in Grounding 737 Max Aircraft

After Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau restricted commercial passenger flights from any air operator, both domestic and foreign, of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft from arriving, departing, or overflying Canadian airspace, President Donald J. Trump told reporters March 13 that the United States also is grounding the airplanes.

At Least 21 UN Employees Aboard Crashed Ethiopian Jet

UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement saying he is "deeply saddened at the tragic loss of lives" in the Ethiopian Airlines disaster. That flight was bound for Nairobi, Kenya, in clear weather. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane only six minutes into the flight, according to news reports.

Transportation's Future Eyed at SXSW This Week

The agency is hosting five interactive sessions and a demonstration room at the hotel on March 12 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Experts will be on hand to discuss featured projects.

NTSB Still Analyzing Recorders from Houston Cargo Plane Crash

The agency reported the airplane's crew were in communication with air traffic control and were being provided radar vectors for the runway 26L approach into George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Crew communications consistent with a loss of control of the aircraft began approximately 18 seconds prior to the end of the recording.

New Managing Director Named at NTSB

Sharon Bryson had served as deputy managing director for about a year; as managing director, she is responsible for assisting the NTSB chair with all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the agency.

Use Daylight Saving's Start to Check for Vehicle Recalls, NHTSA Urges

During 2018, there were more than 900 vehicle recalls affecting more than 33.5 million vehicles in the United States. "Every vehicle recall is serious. Yet only about 75 percent of vehicles recalled in a given year are ever fixed. That puts you, your passengers, and others on the road at risk," NHTSA noted.

DOT Inspector General Auditing Controls of FAA's STARS

The audit will assess FAA's identification and mitigation of security risks in STARS and determine whether its contingency planning limits the effects caused by the loss of STARS operations at large Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities during emergencies.

GHSA Projects 2018 Pedestrian Fatalities Highest Since 1990

A new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association projects that 6,227 pedestrian fatalities took place on U.S. roads in 2018. The projection would be the highest number of pedestrian fatalities since 1990.

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