FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 31, 1999 SB 99-08

NTSB EXTENDS HEARING ON TRUCK AND BUS SAFETY, CRASH DATA AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLE OVERSIGHT -- APRIL 14, 15 & 16

Washington D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board has extended the April Truck and Bus Safety hearing and will now convene at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 14, 1999. The hearing was extended an extra day in order to facilitate discussion among the panels and to allow for questioning of the panels by NTSB staff.

Chaired by Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall, the hearing will include testimony from truck and bus drivers as well as discussions on safety concerns of the general public and industry; changes in the composition of the truck and bus industries; effectiveness of current federal, state and industry oversight; and oversight options for the future.

The April event marks another effort in the Safety Board’s year-long focus on truck and bus safety issues. In March 1999 the Safety Board issued a Highway Special Investigation report on Selective Motorcoach Issues. The March report will be followed by the release of the Bus Crashworthiness Special Investigation, anticipated this summer. Another hearing has been tentatively scheduled by the Safety Board’s Office of Highway Safety for July 1999. The July hearing will discuss emerging technology designed to improve truck and bus safety.

The Safety Board will hold the Truck and Bus Safety hearing at the Georgetown University Conference Center located on the Georgetown University campus at 3800 Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington D.C. 20057. See the full hearing agenda, including descriptions of the discussion panels and scheduled times, on the NTSB web site (http://www.ntsb.gov) under News & Events.

Media contact: Lauren Peduzzi (202) 314-6100

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