Transportation Safety


NSC Preliminary Estimates Show Motor Vehicle Deaths Plateaued in 2017

"The price we are paying for mobility is 40,000 lives each year," NSC President and CEO Deborah A.P. Hersman said. "This is a stark reminder that our complacency is killing us. The only acceptable number is zero; we need to mobilize a full court press to improve roadway safety."

Urgent NTSB Recommendations Issued After Two Train Accidents

"The installation of the life-saving positive train control technology on the CSX tracks is not the cause of the Cayce, South Carolina train collision," said NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt. "While the collision remains under investigation, we know that signal suspensions are an unusual operating condition, used for signal maintenance, repair, and installation, that have the potential to increase the risk of train collisions. That risk was not mitigated in the Cayce collision. Our recommendation, if implemented, works to mitigate that increased risk."

NTSB Sets Meeting on New Mexico Train Crash

The incident occurred about 6:23 a.m. Mountain daylight time when a westbound freight train with nine locomotives and 79 cars collided with a standing train, causing all nine locomotives to derail. The moving train struck the stationary one after traveling through a misaligned switch, according to the safety board.

101 Motorcyclist Traffic Deaths Last Year in Colorado

Still, the motorcyclist total was a bright spot in the 2017 data because there were a record 125 motorcyclist fatalities in 2016. Most motorcyclists killed in 2017 crashes were not wearing helmets, according to CDOT.

Maritime NZ Orders Skipper to Pay Almost $130,000

The skipper of a recreational boat that collided with a rocky outcrop in the Coromandel in New Zealand last January has been ordered by Maritime New Zealand to pay a total of almost $130,000 in reparations to three victims on board.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication promises to prevent thousands of collisions and injuries annually, DOT and NHTSA believe. (Image downloaded from NHTSA August 2014 report)

Executive Order Creates DriveOhio Center

"Our goal is to make Ohio the premier destination for researchers, developers, and manufacturers to test, build, and deploy advanced mobility solutions that will make our roads safer and less congested," Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich said.

Operation Lifesaver Installs Three New State Leaders

Steve Kreins now directs Oregon Operation Lifesaver as state coordinator; Brock Kerchner is the new Pennsylvania Operation Lifesaver state coordinator; and Jessica Devorsky starts Feb. 1 as state coordinator for Texas Operation Lifesaver.

Some 7,000 American drivers per day were treated in emergency departments following motor vehicle crashes in 2012, CDC reported.

Thirteen States Earn Advocates' 'Worst' Rating for 2017

"Our country is approaching nine years without a single death caused by a commercial aviation crash yet, today, we can't go 15 minutes without a single death caused by a motor vehicle crash. Going forward, the most promising and pragmatic strategy at hand is adopting safety laws and advancing available safety technologies," said Jackie Gillan, President Emeritus of Advocates.



ATSB Issues Report on Near Miss with Train's Passengers

In May 2014, a passenger train nearly ran into a group of passengers who were walking on the tracks to board a bus after their own train was delayed. At the time the driver saw them, his train was moving about 73 mph; he applied emergency brakes and managed to stop his train in time.

New South Wales Adds Cocaine to Driver Drug Testing

The announcement came after 392 people died on NSW roads in 2017, with 42 of the deaths involving drug-affected drivers.

Federal Agencies to Resume Operations Following Shutdown

According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, federal government employees are expected to return for work on their next regularly scheduled work day, which for most employees is Tuesday.

NTSB Meeting This Week on 2016 O'Hare Incident

The Associated Press reported last July that NTSB determined a high-pressure turbine disk in the right engine broke into four pieces, which shot out of the engine's housing, and that the board has identified at least three previous uncontained engine failures in commercial airliners in which a disk from the same family of GE engines failed.

More Than $240,000 Awarded to Ohio Communities for Boating Safety Education

More than $240,000 in funding from Ohio's Waterways Safety Fund is being provided to support 10 community boating safety education programs this year, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Corvallis, Ore.-based VDOS Global uses aerial robotics and remote sensing to provide oil and gas inspections, environmental research, aerial surveying and other services using for its clients around the world. (VDOS image)

FAA Drone Registry Tops 1 Million

The 1,000,000 total registration figure includes 878,000 hobbyists, who receive one identification number for all of the drones they own, and 122,000 commercial, public, and other drones, which are individually registered.

DOT Announces Transportation Safety Data Initiative, Pilot Programs

The U.S. Department of Transportation is launching a multi-modal initiative, including two pilot programs to modernize its data analysis and integrate its traditional data sets with new "big data" sources to gain insights into transportation safety.

Canada Introduces Revised SmartDriver Program

"This program will help meet the trucking industry's growing demand for safe, fuel-efficient drivers while educating existing operators on improved driving techniques. The real savings come in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, helping meet Canada's domestic and international climate goals," said Jim Carr, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources.

TSB Releasing Accident Report on 2016 Turboprop Crash

The investigation found the altitude and the speed of the aircraft's approach were higher than recommended. No mechanical deficiencies were found with the aircraft's engines, flight controls, landing gear, and navigation systems, and communications with the aircraft throughout the flight were normal.

NETS Releases Cost of Collisions Calculator App for Employers

Employers can use the app, which NETS developed through a cooperative agreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to measure their company's cost of crashes.

ATSB Warns VFR Pilots About Flying in Conditions They're Not Trained For

A new report about a fatal 2016 helicopter crash "reflects an ongoing problem in aviation – some pilots are continuing to fly into conditions they are not equipped for and not trained for," the agency explained Dec. 18.

USCG Northeast Ice Breaking Season Begins

Operation Reliable Energy for Northeast Winters (RENEW) is its region-wide effort to ensure Northeast communities have the security, supplies, energy, and emergency resources they need all winter.

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