NTSB Advocacy Spotlight – September 2020

  • October 27th, 2020

The Big Stories

  • Safety Reminder Campaign Focused on Summer Safety
    • The NTSB launched its #SafetyReminder social and digital media campaign in mid-May to remind the traveling public about the importance of staying focused on safety during the summer as we slowly resumed air, rail, road, and marine travel following unprecedented stay-at-home restrictions related to the COVID pandemic. Chairman Robert Sumwalt kicked off the campaign prior to the Memorial Day weekend, recording a YouTube video message calling on members of the public to “practice highway safety with the same sense of responsibility they applied to reducing the spread of the coronavirus.” Staff also led a Twitter chat with transportation advocacy groups from all modes of transportation, sharing safety tips and travel resources with the public. Board members also produced blog posts throughout the spring and early summer addressing concerns about the easing of safety regulations for commercial operations during COVID and warning against getting lax about safety. Read more about the campaign in our blog.
  • Transportation Communicator’s Meeting – COVID Update
    • Safety advocacy professionals once again met with NTSB communicators and safety advocates on May 6 to discuss how transportation safety organizations are communicating their strategies and policy changes during the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, we wanted to hear how organizations in all modes were continuing to address safe travel, even though travel was limited and messaging was focused on a different kind of safety: health. Nearly 30 professionals attended the virtual meeting, which resulted information and idea sharing and mutual agreements to partner on future safety initiatives.
  • New 3-Year Term of Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg
    • On Aug. 26, President Donald Trump designated Bruce Landsberg to continue to serve as Vice Chairman of the NTSB for 3 more years. On Aug. 7, 2018, Landsberg began a 5-year appointment as an NTSB Board member, and a separate 3-year term as the NTSB’s Vice Chairman. Since his arrival in 2018, Landsberg has been a tireless advocate for safety improvements on our Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements (MWL), specifically in the areas of distraction and fatigue. He led public roundtables with law enforcement, survivor advocates, and advocacy groups on distracted driving. In the Vice Chairman’s latest blog, he provided his perspective about commercial driver fatigue. The NTSB looks forward to the Vice Chairman’s continued promotion of our MWL and dedication to improving transportation safety across all modes.

See the full NTSB September 2020 newsletter here.

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