The board's conclusions, recommendations, and statements from individual board members are riveting, starting on page 120 of the report. They cite multiple failures by the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, the Washington State Department of Transportation, and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority.
The symposium is co-hosted by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International and the Transportation Research Board and will be held at the Orlando World Center Marriott during July 15-17.
"While any drop in the overall numbers is encouraging, the ongoing daily carnage on our nation's roads eliminates any sense of celebration. We can – and must – do more collectively to accelerate this downward momentum," Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, said in a June 17 statement.
The safety board's report on a 2017 school bus fire that killed a 74-year-old school bus driver and a 16-year-old student passenger near Oakland, Iowa, includes recommendations concerning safety equipment on school buses, physical performance tests for school bus drivers, and a recommendation that the state of Iowa require twice-yearly, documented school bus evacuation training and drills.
"These new mandatory logging devices in commercial vehicles will improve safety for drivers and for all Canadians," said Marc Garneau, Canada's minister of Transport. "We know that fatigue increases the risks of accidents, and that is why we are taking action across all modes of transportation."
"We recognize that recent data indicates that truck-involved crashes are increasing," ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said June 12 at a congressional hearing. "Our industry does not deny this. We do, however, require accurate data that can direct our efforts and resources in appropriately addressing and halting this increase."
NTSB board members will determine the probable cause of an incident that killed a 74-year-old school bus driver and a 16-year-old student passenger when the bus caught fire near Oakland, Iowa, on Dec. 12, 2017.
Xiu Cheng Zheng (Ah Sen), former president and officer of multiple bus companies, was sentenced May 28 in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg, Pa., to 10 months' imprisonment, 12 months' supervised release, $600 in fines and fees, and to forfeit $1,492,633.
The FAA's June 2 statement says that, following an investigation conducted by Boeing and the FAA Certificate Management Office, the FAA has determined that up to 148 parts manufactured by a Boeing sub-tier supplier are affected.
"While these tragic accidents are still under investigation, and no findings or causes have been determined, each crash underscores the urgency of improving the safety of charter flights by implementing existing NTSB safety recommendations," said Robert L. Sumwalt, NTSB's chairman.
The National Roadway Safety Awards program is a biennial competition sponsored by the FHWA and the foundation to recognize roadway safety achievements that move the United States toward zero deaths and serious injuries on the nation's roads.
The Association of American Railroads' president and CEO says the federal agency's decision recognizes that recent years have been the safest in rail history and railroads are committed to deploying new technologies to increase their safety.
The occupation with the most Asians, native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders killed from 2013 to 2017 was heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. The next two occupations with the most killed were first-line supervisors of retail sales workers and cashiers.
According to a new highway work zone study conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America, 67 percent of highway contractors report that motor vehicles had crashed into their construction work zones during the past year.
IMAGE: SEATTLE TIMES
Failure to provide an effective mitigation for a hazardous curve and inadequate training of a locomotive engineer led to the overspeed derailment of an Amtrak passenger train that hurtled off a railroad bridge and onto a busy DuPont, Wash., highway, the National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday.
For the first time in four years, the National Safety Council estimates fewer than 400 fatalities on the road during Memorial Day weekend.
Until further notice, ATC facilities will no longer accept requests to operate recreational drones in controlled airspace on a case-by-case basis. Instead, FAA is granting temporary airspace authorizations to fly in certain "fixed sites" in controlled airspace throughout the country.
Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and New York will each receive $15,000 in funding. Eight states applied for the grants.
The order took immediate effect and is in place until a further order from DOT.
"While the vast majority of Virginians said distracted driving is a serious problem, nearly 80 percent candidly admitted that they at least sometimes use their cellphones while driving," said Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine. "However, they also indicated that family and friends have the power to influence them to put the phone down."