Transportation Safety


Towing Industry Crew Deaths Fell in 2017

The annual safety report on the industry from the U.S. Coast Guard and the American Waterways Operators shows there were only six fatalities related to towing vessel operations. Seven other deaths were from existing medical conditions and an accidental overdose.

NTSB Sets Meeting on San Francisco International Near Miss

Air Canada flight 759, an Airbus A320, was cleared to land on runway 28R at San Francisco International on July 7, 2017, but the airplane instead lined up with parallel taxiway C, which had four airplanes on it awaiting takeoff clearance. Air Canada flight 759 descended to about 60 feet above the ground, and the crew then initiated a go-around after overflying the first airplane on taxiway C.

NY State Police Step Up Patrols as Schools Reopen

The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee estimates 50,000 motor vehicles illegally pass school buses every day across New York State.

TOSHA Administrator: Every Employer Should Join VPP

There are 37 VPP sites in the state program, with two initial certifications under way this year and eight recertifications accomplished in 2017. "Frankly, it's something every employers should do," he said. "They could do that."

NTSB Sets Sept. 11 Meeting on Motorcycle Safety

While the safety board doesn't typically investigate motorcycle crashes, it conducted a motorcycle safety forum in 2006 and issued recommendations from that forum two years later. It has been more than 10 years since NTSB has issued new recommendations to help reduce motorcycle crashes and improve safety.

PA Agencies Collaborate to Improve Highway Safety

PA Agencies Collaborate to Improve Highway Safety

With PennTIME, the agencies aim to reduce the time it takes to respond to and clear highway incidents and improve safety for first responders.

Cincinnati Looking to Protect Bus Drivers and Stop Assaults

Cincinnati Looking to Protect Bus Drivers and Stop Assaults

The city is looking into adding plexiglass dividers between drivers and riders to cut down on assaults.

FMCSA Sets Meeting, Seeks Comments on Hours of Service Changes

The agency is considering revising for specific areas of the regulations, including extending the current 14-hour on-duty limitation by up to two hours when a truck driver encounters adverse driving conditions. The first in a series of public listening sessions is set for Aug. 24 in Dallas.



Illinois DOT Planning Distracted Driving Summit

IDOT will convene state and local agencies, elected officials, and other stakeholders for a safety summit in October focused on distracted driving. The announcement came as traffic deaths are rising in Illinois and the state's governor, Bruce Rauner, proclaimed Aug. 17 as Traffic Fatality Awareness Day in Illinois.

Virginia Starting Increased DUI Enforcement This Friday

Supported by the 17th annual Checkpoint Strikeforce outreach campaign, increased enforcement will take place from Aug. 17 through Labor Day weekend and resume periodically through "target moments" such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and New Year's Eve.

New NTSB Vice Chairman Sworn In

Bruce Landsberg, a past president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Institute, was sworn in Aug. 7 by Chairman Robert Sumwalt.

IIHS Tests Find Issues with Advanced Vehicle Technologies

David Zuby, IIHS chief research officer, said "it's important to note that none of these vehicles is capable of driving safely on its own. A production autonomous vehicle that can go anywhere, anytime isn't available at your local car dealer and won't be for quite some time. We aren't there yet."

Ohio Governor Signs Bill to Help Protect Waste Collectors

Ohio Law to Help Protect Waste Collectors

Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed a bill July 30 that requires drivers to move over when passing waste collection trucks with flashing lights.

WV Launches SWAT Highways Response Team

"It's an initiative for citizens and visitors of West Virginia to report issues regarding state roads. The Highways Response Team will be a go-to for reporting concerns," Gov. Jim Justice said.

ALPA Hosting 2018 Air Safety Forum

The 64th ASF, a four-day event featuring sessions on cargo hold fire risks posed by lithium batteries in passengers' portable electronic devices, pilot wellness, and dealing with disruptive passengers, wraps up Aug. 2 in Washington, D.C.

Boeing forecasts global demand for commercial airline pilots to top 700,000 during the next 20 years. Airbus

Boeing Sees 'Unprecedented' 20-Year Demand for New Pilots

Both Boeing and Airbus forecast very strong demand for commercial airline pilots during the next two decades. The aviation industry faces a pilot labor supply challenge, says Keith Cooper, vice president of Training & Professional Services for Boeing Global Services.

Safety Groups Release Red Light Camera Checklist

Deaths from red light-running crashes in the United States have been rising since 2012, and the number of communities with the cameras has been falling.

NTSB Uses 3D Models to Investigate Incident

In the process of investigating a Feb. 2018 accident involving an air tour helicopter colliding with terrain while landing at Quartermaster landing zone in the Grand Canyon, the engineers with the National Transportation Safety Board required a 3-D digital model of the accident site and surrounding terrain.

DOT Inspector General Questions NHTSA's Management of Airbag Recalls

It makes six recommendations to improve NHTSA's processes for monitoring recall remedies and scope and overseeing safety recall implementation. NHTSA concurred in full with three of the recommendations and partially concurred with the others.

NTSB to Determine Cause of Fatal Grade Crossing Crash

A casino tour bus became stuck on a humped grade crossing in Biloxi, Miss., on March 7, 2017, and was struck by a CSX Transportation freight train. Four bus passengers were killed.

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