In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @NTSB, we get to chat with Public Affairs Specialist Eric Weiss. He shares with us how he has always had a passion for transportation and how that passion brought him to the NTSB.
Get the latest episode on Apple Podcasts or on Google Play.
And find more ways to listen here: https://www.blubrry.com/behind_the_scene_ntsb/
By Stephanie D. Shaw
We launched Safety Compass in March 2011 to provide you an inside-out view of the investigative and advocacy efforts we’re engaged in and the important safety issues we’re focused on. As we close out 2017, we want to say “thank you” to you, our readers. Thank you for your interest in the work we do and for sharing our safety messages and recommendations for improving transportation safety.
From teens and sleep to drones, autonomous vehicles to our investigative processes, we’ve given you an inside look at the NTSB and highlighted our comprehensive approach to improving transportation safety across all modes and for all people.
To wrap up the year, here’s a list of some of our most popular blogs of 2017:
Last month, we released data revealing that 2,030 more people died in transportation accidents in 2016 than in 2015. Of those fatalities, 95 percent occurred on the nation’s roadways. Many of those deaths were completely preventable! As we approach 2018, we call on each of you to help us reverse the trend of increasing transportation fatalities, especially on our roadways. Continue to read our blog, see the lessons we’ve learned through our investigations, and share the safety recommendations we’ve made to prevent transportation accidents and crashes, deaths, and injuries.
We encourage you to keep up not only with our blogs, but with other NTSB materials. Sign up to be on our Constant Contact list. Follow us on Facebook (@NTSBgov), Instagram (@NTSBgov), LinkedIn (@NTSB), and Twitter (@NTSB). And in case you missed it, we launched a podcast in 2017, too! Check out Behind-the-Scene @NTSB wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to suggest a blog topic, e-mail SafetyAdvocacy@ntsb.gov.
As 2017 comes to an end, we again extend our gratitude to you for working with us to improve transportation safety. We wish you safe travels this holiday season and in 2018.
By: Member T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, MPH
Many Americans are now well into holiday shopping—some may already have finished. Kids have made up their wish lists and excitement is building around what gifts will be arriving. Every year, there seems to be a new trending gift that flies off the shelves. Whether it’s the latest stuffed animal or a remote-controlled toy, the joyous looks on the faces of children who open these gifts are priceless.
One trend that is never joyous, especially around the holidays, that no one wants to be a part of, is the increasing number of impaired driving deaths. This number has been trending upward over the past few years; what’s even sadder is that it could—and should—be zero. Impaired driving fatalities are 100% preventable.
According to NHTSA, over 150 more people died in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes in 2016 than in 2015 (10,320 to 10,497). That was an increase of 1.7%. And, sadly, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 out of 5 motor vehicle deaths of children involve an alcohol‑impaired driver, most often someone driving the child.
December has been designated National Impaired Driving Prevention Month to draw attention to the problem of drunk and drugged driving and how it can be prevented. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans attend holiday celebrations of all kinds. Many involve alcohol, and often the amount of alcohol individuals consume isn’t monitored. This can lead to impaired driving if plans for a sober ride home aren’t made in advance.
At the NTSB, we have issued specific recommendations that, if implemented, could save you or someone you know from an impaired driver. Policies such as all-offender ignition interlocks, .05 (or below) per se blood alcohol concentration limits, and high-visibility enforcement campaigns can prevent impaired driving.
These policy actions aim for broad acceptance of a personal choice: Drink or drive, but don’t do both. The same goes for drugs, whether illicit or legal. We can simply decide that driving should be separated from drinking (and the use of other drugs). Impairment and driving should never mix. If you’re planning to drink, plan to have a sober ride home. If you’re driving, take that responsibility seriously; be the sober ride for others and don’t drink at all! Also if you’ve driven somewhere and then later decide to drink, use public transportation, call a taxi (or a friend), or use a ride app to get home safely. It’s pretty simple: If you have a phone (and often even if you don’t), you have a ride. We each have the power to eliminate impaired driving if we choose to never get behind the wheel when we are impaired.
If any of this sounds to you like advice from the Grinch, think for a moment about what sober driving would mean, not just for this holiday, but every day. More than 10,000 people die each year because someone drives impaired. Imagine the joy never stolen from family celebrations if all of us made—and kept—plans to have a sober ride home during the holidays. Imagine the pain we could spare families not just during the holidays, but every day. Imagine how many families would remain intact and who wouldn’t have to suffer through the holidays remembering loved ones who were lost at the hands of an impaired driver.
On behalf of the NTSB, please have a safe—and joyful—holiday.
By Don Karol
Rumor has it that, just before the December 15, 1967, collapse of the US Highway 35 Bridge in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, a 7-foot-tall monster with large, piercing red eyes and huge, mothlike wings was seen lurking nearby, warning of the impending catastrophe. This “Mothman” was soon blamed for the tragedy in which 46 people died and 9 were injured. Of the 37 vehicles on the bridge at the time of the collapse, 31 fell with it, many plunging into the Ohio River. Fifty years after the collapse of what was then known as the Silver Bridge, paranormal speculation still swirls around the event, perpetuated by movies (like the Mothman Prophecies), legends, and myths. As a civil engineer, though, I put my trust in the laws of physics, materials science, and the findings of the NTSB investigation completed five decades ago, which proved without a doubt that the Mothman wasn’t to blame.
The Silver Bridge collapse was the first significant highway accident investigation in NTSB history. Working with experts from the Federal Highway Administration, the states of West Virginia and Ohio, and leading engineering consulting firms, we determined conclusively that the cause of the collapse was an eyebar fracture in one of the bridge’s suspension chains. The fracture resulted from stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue that had developed over the bridge’s 40-year lifespan. Not surprisingly, no evidence was ever found connecting the Mothman to the failure.
This catastrophic event prompted national concern about the safety of bridges across the United States. President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered all US bridges to undergo safety inspections. Congressional hearings resulted in mandates requiring the US Department of Transportation to develop and implement National Bridge Inspection Standards. In December 1970, landmark legislation was enacted that established national requirements for bridge inspection and evaluation. One would think that these rigorous new inspection standards would take care of bridge failures forever. Unfortunately, during the past half century, that’s not been the case.
On June 28, 1983, a 100-foot-long section of Interstate 95 (Mianus River Bridge) collapsed near Greenwich, Connecticut. Two tractor-semitrailers and two passenger vehicles went down with it, resulting in three fatalities and three serious injuries. We determined that corrosion-induced forces led to lateral displacement of the suspension assembly, which went undetected by the state’s bridge inspection and maintenance programs and ultimately led to the collapse.
On April 5, 1987, tragedy struck again when two spans of the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) fell about 80 feet into the rain-swollen Schoharie Creek. Four passenger cars and one tractor-semitrailer plunged into the creek, and 10 people were killed. We determined that the New York State Thruway Authority failed to maintain adequate support around the bridge piers, leading to severe erosion in the soil beneath the bridge footings. We also determined that the state’s bridge inspection program was inadequate. Not surprisingly, neither the Mothman nor the Loch Ness Monster was seen in advance of this collapse to forewarn of the impending catastrophe.
Other notable bridge failures we investigated in the late 1980s involved localized flooding and water scouring. One collapse occurred on April 1, 1989, near Covington, Tennessee, when two columns supporting three bridge spans collapsed, sending an 85‑foot section of the US Route 51 bridge 20 feet into the Hatchie River. Five vehicles fell with it, killing eight occupants. Again, our investigation identified deficiencies in the state authority’s bridge oversight. In response to our investigations of these events, additional requirements were developed for periodic underwater inspection of bridges.
Probably the most memorable bridge collapse we investigated occurred 10 years ago in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when a catastrophic failure occurred in the main span of the deck truss in the Interstate 35W highway bridge. As a result, 1,000 feet of the deck truss collapsed during rush hour, with about 456 feet of the main span falling into the river. A total of 111 vehicles were on the portion of the bridge that collapsed; 13 people died and 145 were injured. We determined that a design error in the gusset plates compromised the bridge’s load capacity, causing it to fail under substantial weight increases. Our investigation prompted the development of additional bridge quality assurance and improved bridge inspection requirements.
On December 15, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Silver Bridge collapse, let’s focus on the infrastructure improvements we need still need to make five decades later rather than try to place the blame on mythical creatures like the Mothman. Throughout the NTSB’s history, we have investigated catastrophic bridge collapses with one goal in mind: preventing future tragedies. Despite efforts to continually enhance the quality of bridge inspections, unforeseen disasters continue to occur, highlighting the need to thoroughly inspect and replace bridges before they collapse. Supernatural forces do not bring down bridges; neglect does.
Don Karol is a Senior Highway Accident Investigator and National Resource Specialist in the NTSB Office of Highway Safety.
In this episode of Behind-the-Scene @ NTSB, we chat with Transportation Disaster Assistance Specialist, Stephanie Matonek. She discusses how she found her passion for the work that she does as part of the TDA team and path she took to get to where she is now. She also has a piece of interesting NTSB history that she shares with us.
Get the latest episode on Apple Podcasts or on Google Play.
And find more ways to listen here: https://www.blubrry.com/behind_the_scene_ntsb/
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