NTSB responds to rail-crossing crash that killed six
Washington – The National Transportation Safety Board on Jan. 28 issued 19 transportation safety recommendations in response to a 2011 rail-crossing collision in Nevada that killed six people.
In its accident investigation report on the crash, in which a truck driver failed to stop at a rail crossing and crashed into a passenger train, NTSB identified driver error and improper brake maintenance on the truck as contributing factors. It also found that inadequate passenger protection on the train may have increased the number of occupants killed, which included the truck driver who crashed into the train, four rail car passengers and the train’s conductor.
NTSB made several recommendations to federal transportation agencies, including:
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (.pdf file) – Increase truck driver screening and employment history reporting to a national database.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (.pdf file) – Establish minimum standards for air-brake monitoring systems.
- Federal Railroad Administration (.pdf file) – Develop side-impact crash worthiness standards to better protect train occupants in a crash.
NTSB requested each organization to respond within 90 days on actions they will take to implement the recommendations.
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