March 29, 2007

NTSB chair talks highway safety

Mark Rosenker, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), will discuss the promise and challenges of new highway technologies designed to prevent accidents when he delivers the 26th Annual William A. Patterson Transportation Lecture April 11.

Rosenker’s lecture, “On the Road to Safety — Milestones in Progress,” will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Tribune Auditorium, James Allen Center. Sponsored by the Transportation Center, it is free and open to the public.

Rosenker will discuss highway safety, which remains a significant priority of the NTSB. The past decade has seen significant improvements in crashworthiness of vehicles, resulting in a reduction in the number of highway fatalities. Practical limits in combating the physical forces involved in crashes may have been reached, ushering in a new era where technology will help prevent accidents. Telematics and automation of vehicle control are beginning to move from research and development into the market place. Rosenker will talk about the safety promises offered by these new highway technologies as well as the concerns that the NTSB has for their implementation.

Rosenker became the 11th chairman of the NTSB in August 2006, a position he will hold for two terms until December 2010. He became a member of the NTSB in March 2003 and was designated by President Bush as vice chairman that April.