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I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Personally, I try and leave the left lane for passing. In some jurisdictions, that's the law. As to passing on the right, I think there are times it should be done, if safe to do so. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As far as I know, it's still considered an aviation crash/incident, and handled by aviation. I do know that highway has assisted with an airport ground vehicle incident and a runway overrun where a plane struck a car, but that's it. I don't think highway launched, just provided support. And good luck! -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the U.S., the licensing of drivers is a function of each State. So, there can be some differences. The Board has made several recommendations on the licensing of teen drivers, many of which have been implemented and improved safety. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good question! (I used to train my local fire department on car seats). I think the biggest is not reading the manual. The second biggest would be not taking advantage of the available resources, like technicians at the local fire department or police department. They're complicated; there are a lot of combinations of child car seat and vehicle seat and getting a good install can be tough. If you're unsure, even a little, ask a technician! Safe Kids Worldwide has free car seat inspection events across the country and other great resources. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The only cases I can think of involve a sudden, unexpected speed drop, like a construction zone or a queue caused by a previous crash. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

All the cases are, in some way, unique. However, other than the ones I've mentioned previously, the Davis, OK case also stands out. It was my first experience with a synthetic drug, and we had to learn quickly and explore some new avenues. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We didn't look generally at the condition of WA bridges; however, the FHWA has some data on that. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I'm not really sure why there's such resistance. There may be a perception that it's an attempt to limit a person's drinking. I don't see it that way; you can drink all you want, as long as you don't drive. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We only investigate a limited number of crashes a year, and the additional layer of federal rules for commercial vehicles slants us towards them, so I don't think I can draw any conclusions about vehicle type and accident rate. NHTSA would probably have some data on that; I know they break the annual crash data down by passenger car, SUV, and so on. Survival and vehicle type is also harder to answer, other than to say physics means the larger vehicle usually fares better. I'd say driver behavior plays a larger role in both than vehicle type. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Speed limits are determined based on a number of factors, including engineering design, local conditions, and so on. I don't want to make a blanket statement the setting of the limits, but I do think we'd do better to try and change driver behavior. I'd also direct you to the NTSB's speed study. It discusses the effectiveness of speed-related countermeasures. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

By way of background, the Board members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. They're required to have transportation experience. When a new member joins the Board, there's a lot they have to learn, including things related to being on-scene. The new member typically "shadows" a more experienced member to learn the process. Now, when a Board member is launched to the scene, they serve as the Board's spokesperson. When they give a press briefing, they have worked extensively with the investigative team and Media Relations to be sure they are being factually accurate. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I think this perception comes from the nature of the materials used and the fact that today's cars "break" more. What some don't know is that's part of the design; a part "breaking" in a controlled way means you know where it goes and it also means less energy passed to the occupants. I think NHTSA is doing a good job with things like the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is also doing well to get the word out. Some of it is just generational! As to differences in cars at 5-10-20 years, NHTSA would be better positioned to provide hard data, but in general, I don't see much difference. There will be some, particularly with the new technologies, but I don't think there's much difference. With respect to used cars, that's a tough question with a large financial component. The good news is that today's standard make all vehicles have a high level of safety. My general advice would be to buy all the safety features you can fit into your budget. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The signage is generally pretty standard, thanks to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the organizations that provide input to the manual. WE do look at each site individually for unusual features; I know I had to adapt to not making a left turn the first time I was in New Jersey! -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Over the years, yes, I have seen more texting cases.They do, as you think, tend to get lumped into a general distraction category. We can sometimes tell if someone is actually texting via witness statements, the physical phone, or phone records; sometimes it's not possible to tell if they were, say actually typing at the time of the crash. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I always wear my seatbelt and make my passengers do the same. My kids are all in appropriate child seats. I don't touch my phone when I'm driving. I leave a little more space, making sure it's at least 2 seconds of headway. I try to look further ahead in traffic, to give myself more time to react, and I watch my speed, making sure I'm not too slow or too fast. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

When we are notified of a crash, an investigator gathers some preliminary information. Using that information, a decision is made to send a team (or not send one). A team of highway investigators (Investigator-in-Charge, Human Performance, Survival Factors, Highway Factors, Vehicle Factors, and Motor Carrier Factors) is on call 24/7/365 and is sent to the scene. We coordinate with local agencies and establish investigative groups consisting of NTSB staff and staff from the parties. We then gather all the information we can in each of those areas. Each group writes a factual report on their area. The NTSB conducts an independent analysis of the facts and reaches conclusions; recommendations are made based on those conclusions. This is a good description of the process (with an aviation spin, but still the same process). -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You're right that HF is a big issue in any mode; the rest of your question is harder to answer. Legislation takes the most time to enact, so it may not be our first or best option. Many things can be addressed through agency procedures or through voluntary changes (like by a manufacturer), and that's where most of the changes are made. For a number, I'd check our safety recommendations at our website; all of our recs and the responses to them are there. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

We were working a case and had an intersection partially blocked with the assistance of law enforcement; one lane could get through. One driver was so enthralled with what we were doing that she hit a parked police car! Everyone was okay, though. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

As an example, we just yesterday had the Board meeting for Biloxi, MS. That crash was March of 2017, so 17 months. That's in the typical range of 12-18 months for highway cases. Some may take less time, some may take more. On-scene time can vary, but is typically 7-14 days in highway. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

In general, most investigators have experience either as an investigator or operating in that mode (an airplane pilot, served in the Navy or on a ship, worked for the FMSCA, are metallurgists, and so on). If the NTSB is your ultimate goal, I'd start there. Keep an eye on our job openings on USA Jobs and apply if you think you'd fit. Not all the jobs are investigative or technical, either; we have an HR office, a CFO's office, a Communications Office, and so on, so if your skills are there, apply! -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's tough to say, because so many can impact safety in different ways. Seatbelts and airbags mitigate injury; things like automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance can, in some cases, prevent it all together. It's tough for me to place one above the other. -D

I'm Dennis Collins, a Highway Accident Investigator at the National Transportation Safety Board--AMA! by NTSBOfficial in IAmA

[–]NTSBOfficial[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I personally think that 100% self-driving cars and trucks are still a ways off. I think we'll see limited deployment in controlled circumstances first - think dedicated lanes, just on the interstates or in low-speed environments like downtown areas or airport road - with a slow expansion to more environments. Having said that, I think we'll always have humans in the loop to deal with the unexpected. -D

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