Transportation Safety


At Least Three Fatalities Reported After Amtrak Derailment in Washington State

An Amtrak train has derailed and fallen off an overpass over Interstate 5 near Dupont, Wash.

NTSB Issues Report on Drone Collision with Army Helicopter

The drone operator was not aware of temporary flight restrictions that were in place at the time because of presidential travel and a United Nations General Assembly session, and he did not hold an FAA remote pilot certificate.

Enhanced Holiday Traffic Enforcement Begins

Law enforcement and highway safety agencies across the nation are participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign that began Dec. 13 and continues until Jan. 1, 2018.

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)

El Faro's Captain, Owner Faulted by NTSB

He could have steered the ship away from the hurricane, the safety board found, and it concluded poor oversight and an inadequate safety management system of the ship's operator, TOTE, contributed to the sinking, which killed 33 crew members.

NTSB Member Dinh-Zarr Touts Lower BAC Laws

Her Dec. 11 blog post asks employers to support lowering the illegal BAC to .05 (g/dL) or lower and implementing primary seat belt laws in their communities they serve.

Union Pacific Showcases Drone Program, Plans

An online article about the program says Union Pacific now has 80 employees certified to fly drones and hopes to have nearly 250 throughout its 32,100-mile network by December 2018.

Winter Weather Driving: Safety Tips to Prepare, Protect, and Prevent

Winter Weather Driving: Safety Tips to Prepare, Protect, and Prevent

Winter is here, and many regions will be experiencing ice and snow on the roads.

GAO Recommends Improving Online Recall Assistance

Most consumers in the focus group website usability tests found the auto recall areas of NHTSA's website easy to use, but some experienced difficulties when asked to complete auto recall-related tasks.



ANSI Seeks Participants for Drone Panels

Subject-matter experts interested in participating in one or more of the four UASSC working groups are invited to review the working group architecture and return the sign-up sheet before Dec. 31, 2017.

Venezuela's Avior Airlines Added to EU Safety List

The addition means it is subject to an operating ban or operating restrictions within the European Union. Mustique Airways (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) and Urga (Ukraine) were removed after they made safety improvements.

Several railroad grade crossings will get flashing lights and gates as a result of nearly $10 million from the Railroad Safety Grants for the Safe Transportation of Energy Products (STEP) by Rail Program.

FRA Delays System Safety Rule Another Year

The rule would require commuter and intercity passenger railroads to implement a system safety program. FRA's Nov. 30 notice says rail labor organizations filed a single joint petition seeking a delay, and state and local transportation departments and authorities filed three other petitions.

Georgia Limiting Lane Closures Through Monday Morning

"As people visit friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday and shop on Black Friday, we anticipate heavy traffic," said Georgia DOT State Construction Engineer John D. Hancock. "For easier and safer travel, we are limiting construction and associated lane closures."

DOT Adds Synthetic Opioids to Drug Test Panel

DOT-regulated employers will be required to test for the opioids hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and oxycodone starting on Jan. 1, 2018.

National Traffic Incident Response Week: 3 Tips to Do Your Part

National Traffic Incident Response Week: Three Tips to Do Your Part

The Federal Highway Administration has declared Nov. 13-19 as National Traffic Incident Response Week to remind drivers to "slow down and move over."

Stay Alert for Deer, Ohio Drivers Warned

During 2016, there were 4,256 deer-related crashes on the state's roads in November, almost twice as many as the next leading month, according to the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

DOT Announces Drone Integration Pilot Program

DOT Announces Drone Integration Pilot Program

The program is an opportunity to connect state, local, and tribal governments with private-sector entities with a goal of safely integrating drones into the national airspace.

NYC Warns Drivers About Dusk and Nighttime Hazards

City DOT research indicates the earlier onset of darkness in the fall and winter is highly correlated to a 40 percent increase in traffic injuries and fatalities among pedestrians, and that lower visibility during the dark hours of the colder months leads to twice as many crashes involving turns.

Canada Proposing Fatigue Regulation for Rail Workers

A committee recommended last year that Transport Canada, in cooperation with the federal departments responsible for health and labor, take immediate action through a working group to develop options to improve the management of railway crew fatigue.

NWS to Issue Snow Squall Warnings This Winter

The decision to use this warning was made because forecasters felt none of the warnings they have been using adequately warns people about this particular hazard.

Record Tonnage Moved Through Panama Canal in FY2017

A total of 13,548 vessels passed through the canal during the fiscal year, representing a 3.3 percent increase from the year before. The fact that larger Neopanamax vessels now can transit the canal made the 22 percent growth in tonnage possible.

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