The U.S. Department of Transportation in late October convened the first meeting of a newly created DOT Safety Council formed to tackle critical transportation safety issues facing the department’s 10 operating administrations. “Now is the time to identify and address the top safety issues that cut across our agencies,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says. “The council will take our commitment to safety, which is our highest priority, to the next level.”
Before taking office, LaHood saw that many important safety initiatives were being pursued in the department’s agencies without a formal process for sharing data, best practices and strategies. LaHood created the Safety Council to serve that broad-based safety leadership role and help break down organizational stovepipes, enabling an even stronger safety culture.
The council, chaired by Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari, is comprised of the heads of DOT’s 10 agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Porcari says the action-oriented and data-driven council will emphasize open dialogue about common issues, and provide a forum for fresh ideas and new perspectives. “The council will enhance the department’s safety culture, which should then resonate out into industry,” Porcari says.
