FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 25, 2002
SB-02-37

NTSB CALLS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION DATA

Washington D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board has called
for improvements in the Department of Transportation (DOT) data collection
programs in order to better monitor accident risks, support the analysis of
risk factors and evaluate the effectiveness of accident prevention
strategies.

The conclusion was part of an NTSB safety study examining data
quality issues within the government's transportation agencies. The study
also determined that the Bureau of Transportation Statistics' audits of DOT
safety databases should be accelerated to support timely, coordinated
reengineering efforts by the modal agencies.

Federal, State and local government organizations use transportation
safety databases to monitor transportation accidents, and to develop
programs for improving safety. The Safety Board initiated this study to
highlight data quality issues within the external databases it uses when
performing accident investigations, safety studies, and special
investigations.

Since 1968 the Safety Board has issued 233 data recommendations
asking various organizations to develop, modify, improve, address
underreporting or analyze existing data within the respective database. Of
the 233 data recommendations, 83% were addressed to Federal agencies.

The Board's current safety study contained one recommendation asking
the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to develop a long-term program to
improve the collection of data describing the exposure to transportation
risk in the United States. The recommendation also requested that within
each mode, representative exposure data should be maintained for distinct
transportation sectors, industry segments, and travel purposes.

A complete copy of the report is available on the website. Printed
copies of the report may be purchased from the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS) (800) 553-NTIS.

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Media Contact: Lauren Peduzzi
(202) 314-6100