Security & Safety Briefs — Jan. 11 - Jan. 17
This briefing can be e-mailed to you every week. Just click here to register.The Latest Headlines:
Newspaper Series Cites Rail-Security Flaws
Railroads that carry hazardous shipments have little or no police presence and lax security that makes them easy targets for terrorists, according to a newspaper investigation, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.During a several-month nationwide investigation, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review was able to penetrate 48 hazardous chemical plants and the freight lines that service them, AP said.The reporter, who left his business cards on the cars, was never questioned when he climbed trains, photographed derailing levers and peeked into signaling boxes that control rail traffic, the newspaper reported in a series of stories that began Sunday.The newspaper visited rail lines from Seattle to New Jersey that had been documented by the Federal Railroad Administration since 2003 for defects in security. The newspaper found that little, if anything, had changed since those first reports were issued, AP reported.U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), who was quoted in the series, has sponsored legislation to revamp rail security nationwide and pledged to hold hearings on the issue, AP said. Transport TopicsKentucky Begins ‘Primary’ Seat Belt Enforcement
Beginning this year, motorists in Kentucky face $25 fines if they don’t fasten their seat belts under a new seat belt law, the Associated Press reported.The law allows police to stop drivers solely for not wearing seat belts. Previously, seat belt citations came only when a driver was stopped for another reason. The new law took effect in July, but police could only give drivers a warning until now.About half the U.S. states have a similar strict seat belt law. By joining them, Kentucky will be eligible for an additional $11.2 million in federal funds to spend on road improvements.Statistics from states that have “primary” seat belt laws show an increase of about 10 percentage points in the number of people who buckle up, AP reported. Transport TopicsPrevious Security & Safety Briefs
