DOT Sets Safety Council

Secretary Ray LaHood said Monday the Department of Transportation was creating a safety council to address a “critical” safety issues facing DOT’s 10 modal agencies.

“Now is the time to identify and address the top safety issues that cut across our agencies,” LaHood said in a statement. “The council will take our commitment to safety, which is our highest priority, to the next level.”

The council will be comprised of the 10 modal administrators within DOT, including the heads of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Maritime Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

It will be chaired by Deputy Secretary John Porcari. “The council will enhance the department’s safety culture which should then resonate out into industry,” he said.