Transportation

Greenbelt, MD – Passenger vehicle drivers were cited for speeding “significantly” more often than commercial truck and bus drivers during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Operation Safe Driver campaign in 2013, according to the alliance.

Washington – A new appropriations bill could increase funding for the Federal Railroad Administration, allowing the agency to hire 45 new rail safety inspectors and increase the amount of rail it inspects nationwide.

Washington – Prompted by multiple train derailment-related explosions in recent years, North Dakota Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (D) and John Hoeven (R) met with federal transportation officials on Jan. 9 to discuss their concerns about the safety of shipping crude oil by rail.

Washington – Stakeholders at a Jan. 9 public meeting in Washington showed a sharp difference of opinion on proposed changes to OSHA’s Recordkeeping Standard.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has released guidance on break requirements for short-haul commercial truck drivers who unintentionally exceed time or distance driving limits.

Washington – OSHA has extended to March 8 the comment period for its proposed rule on recordkeeping, the agency announced Jan. 6.

Washington – Crude oil shipped from the Bakken Formation – located in North Dakota, Montana and nearby Canadian provinces – may be more flammable than “traditional” heavy crude oil, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration warned shippers, sellers and emergency responders in a Jan. 2 safety advisory.

Washington – The National Transportation Safety Board has sent the Federal Transit Administration two recommendations aimed at protecting railway track workers, after an investigation of a fatal incident in October 2013 revealed safety vulnerabilities.

Eagan, MN – Some workers are not reporting on-the-job injuries for fear of retaliation, according to survey results released in December by FindLaw.com, a legal information website.

Can safety culture be regulated? The National Transportation Safety Board recently hosted a forum to discuss what – if any – role the government can play in influencing a positive safety culture in the transportation industry.