Year: 2022

South Korea Fails to Down North Korean Drones

North Korea sent five drones which entered the South Korea’s airspace this week. The action prompted South Korea’s military to send fighter jets and attack helicopters to shoot them down. The actions did not result in the drones being shot down and South Korea’s president called for stronger air defenses and their military apologized for failing to shoot them down.

It was reportedly the first time in five years that North Korean drones crossed the border. The drones either flew back to North Korea or disappeared from radar.

Kosovo-Serbia Tensions High

Ethnic tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have risen to the surface again in northern Kosovo. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said tensions were “on the brink of armed conflict.” Kosovo had shut down the main border crossing as the conflict grew by barricading roads. Local Serbs in northern Kosovo are confronting ethnic Albanian authorities with the road blockades and protests.

President Aleksandar Vucic said ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo have begun to take down some barricades, but the situation remains a source of significant concern. In recent months, Kosovo Serbs had set up roadblocks in northern Kosovo.

The European Union and the U. S. both cautioned the use of “maximum restraint” as the blockades and protests have continued for more than two weeks.

National Highways Strike Continues in UK

Road traffic officers and control room operators in South West England and the West Midlands begin two days of strike action tomorrow.

Strike action among National Highways members has been moving from region to region since starting on 13 December. PCS members working for National Highways in all regions will strike on January 3 and 4.  

The action in the south west and west midlands is likely to have an impact on signs and signals being set up to warn motorists of blockages and incidents, a reduced ability to respond and deal with collisions, and delays in re-opening carriageways and motorways. 

“Previous strikes elsewhere in England have caused disruption for people travelling over the Christmas period, and this strike is likely to do the same,” said PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka. “While we regret people’s travel plans will be affected, we make it very clear this strike could be called off today if the Prime Minister or Chancellor put money on the table.” 

Strikes Disrupting Travel in UK

The UK government has acknowledged that strikes hitting the UK right now are causing “massive disruption.” Those words came from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson, Jamie Davies. Border Force workers and rail staff struck again on Wednesday28 December which left passengers, commuters and shoppers subject to delays.

Border Force staff at Britain’s largest airports, including those in passport control, resumed their actions saying they were doing so due to concerns about pay, jobs and working conditions. The 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) say they will strike for four days until New Year’s Eve. Union leaders have said that they are prepared to continue on for months, if necessary.

Military personal are currently covering for striking workers at airports including Heathrow and Gatwick in London, as well as Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester and the port of Newhaven. Civilians are also being called in to assist.

UK government issued this statement:

“Travelers who are planning to enter the UK during the proposed strike period may face longer wait times at border control.

Travelers should check the latest travel advice with operators before traveling.

Please be patient and respect officers who are working to keep the UK border safe and secure for all travelers during strike action.

We encourage all passengers eligible to use eGates to do so.”

See more advice for travelers coming into the UK here.

Press Release

Russelectric, A Siemens Business, Highlights the External Manual Operator (E.M.O.) on Automatic Transfer Switches

Russelectric, A Siemens Business, manufacturer of power control
systems and automatic transfer switches, is highlighting its External Manual Operator (E.M.O.), a
standard feature of the Russelectric RTS-03 Series and RTS-30 Series of open-transition
automatic transfer switches, the most rugged and complete line of 480 VAC 30-cycle and 3-
cycle UL tested switches available today, the company says. The unique External Manual Operator
feature enables easy, safe and quick manual transfer with the door fully closed, significantly
reducing downtime and the risk of arc flash injuries.
With the External Manual Operator, the manual transfer process is much easier and faster for
both the preferred and the alternative power sources, and no special procedures are required to
ensure the system is de-energized during the transfer operation. That means less downtime
because the cabinet door remains closed.
The External Manual Operator utilizes the same Russelectric transfer mechanism as the
automatic electrical operator, a design proven to provide exceptional safety and durability.
During an open-transition transfer, the contact mechanism is securely locked in position until an
over-center position is reached. Preloaded springs then instantaneously open the closed contacts
(quick-break) and instantaneously close the open contacts (quick-make) with only a momentary
break in between.
This quick-break design along with rapid arc quenching features provide for rapid arc
interruption, under maximum voltage and amperage, reducing contact erosion and overheating to
extend useful life. Russelectric transfer switches have the highest 480 VAC 3-cycle closing and
withstand ratings of any switches available today.
For more information, visit
https://new.siemens.com/us/en/products/energy/russelectric/products/transfer-and-bypass-
switches.html

Massive Pileup on Ohio Turnpike Due to Blizzard Conditions

A massive car and truck pileup occurred during the bomb cyclone weather last week in the central United States. The incident occurred on the Ohio Turnpike MP 106.

Troopers on scene confirmed four fatalities with many injured from the pileup, with a minimum of 46 vehicles involved. Multiple agencies from several counties are continuing rescue operations. White-out conditions persisted for an extended period of time.

The names of the victims were not released, and authorities did not specify how many were injured.

Stowaway Died Enroute from Africa to UK

The body of a man was discovered in the landing gear area of an aircraft that flew from Gambia to Britain. The unidentified body of a black male was found in the wheel wheel of a jet operated by charter airline, Tui Airways, that had flown from the Gambian capital of Banjul to London Gatwick Airport, it was confirmed by Gambia’s government spokesman in a statement.

Local Police said the body was discovered at Gatwick in the early morning hours of December 7. “Police were called after the body of a man was found in the undercarriage of an aircraft at Gatwick Airport, arriving from Gambia, at about 4am on December 7. Officers are investigating and a report will be prepared for HM Coroner,” a statement from the police said. Tui did not offer a comment.

NTSB Calls for Alcohol Detection Systems in All New Vehicles

An investigation into a California crash that killed nine – including seven children — has led the National Transportation Safety Board to call for alcohol impairment detection systems to be included in all new vehicles, according to new recommendations released Tuesday.

The crash, on New Year’s Day 2021 in Avenal, Calif., was caused by an impaired driver who was speeding, the NTSB found.

“Technology could’ve prevented this heartbreaking crash — just as it can prevent the tens of thousands of fatalities from impaired-driving and speeding-related crashes we see in the U.S. annually,” said NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy. “We need to implement the technologies we have right here, right now to save lives.”

As a result of the investigation, the NTSB is recommending measures leveraging new in-vehicle technologies that can limit or prohibit impaired drivers from operating their vehicles as well as technologies to prevent speeding. These include:

• Requiring passive vehicle-integrated alcohol impairment detection systems, advanced driver monitoring systems or a combination of the two that would be capable of preventing or limiting vehicle operation if it detects driver impairment by alcohol. The NTSB recommends that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration require all new vehicles to be equipped with such systems.

• Incentivizing vehicle manufacturers and consumers to adopt intelligent speed adaptation systems that would prevent speed-related crashes. This is a reiteration of a previous NTSB recommendation to NHTSA.

“We have to remember that technology is only part of the solution. To save lives on our roads, we need to look more broadly at the entire transportation system, which includes everything that can prevent a crash,” said Homendy, a strong supporter of the comprehensive Safe System Approach to reducing roadway deaths.

On Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, a sport utility vehicle was traveling south on State Route 33 near Avenal, Calif. Meanwhile, a pickup truck — occupied by a driver and seven passengers, ranging in age from 6 to 15 years old — was traveling north on State Route 33. The SUV had traveled less than 3,000 feet on SR-33, during which it accelerated to a speed between 88 and 98 mph, when it ran off the shoulder to the right. The driver overcorrected to the left and the SUV crossed the centerline into the other lane, directly in front of the oncoming pickup truck. The SUV and pickup truck collided head-on and the truck immediately caught fire. The SUV driver and all eight pickup truck occupants died.

NTSB investigators found that the SUV driver had a high level of alcohol intoxication and was operating at an excessive speed. These factors contributed to a loss of vehicle control. The excessive speed of the SUV also prevented the oncoming pickup truck from having enough time to take evasive action. The NTSB determined that it is unlikely this crash was survivable due to the severity of the head-on collision, the significant vehicle intrusion and the rapid spread of the post-crash fire.

Driving under the influence of alcohol remains a leading cause of injury-involved highway crashes. Since 2000, more than 230,000 people have lost their lives in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers according to NHTSA. In 2020, an estimated 11,654 fatalities occurred in alcohol-impaired crashes. This number represented about 30 percent of all traffic fatalities that year and a 14% increase over the 10,196 individuals who died because of alcohol impaired crashes in 2019.

Speeding is also a problem that research suggests is worsening. In 2020, there were 11,258 fatalities in crashes in which at least one driver was speeding, according to NHTSA. Speeding increases both the chances of being involved in a crash and the severity of crash injuries.

To prevent alcohol and other drug-impaired driving crashes, the NTSB has called for in-vehicle alcohol detection technology, the lowering of the blood alcohol concentration limit to .05 g/dL or lower, alcohol ignition-interlock devices for people convicted of driving while intoxicated and recommended that regulators develop a standard of practice to improve drug toxicology testing. The NTSB has also called for a comprehensive strategy to eliminate speeding-related crashes that combines traditional measures like enforcement and regulation with new technological advances like speed limiters and intelligent speed adaptation technology.

ATRI Issues Call for Motor Carriers and Drivers to Participate in Predatory Towing Survey

The American Transportation Research Institute today issued a call for motor carriers and drivers to participate in a new ATRI data collection on the impact of predatory towing in the trucking industry.

Predatory towing is any incident in which a tow truck operator egregiously overcharges, illegally seizes, damages by use of improper equipment, or withholds release of a truck and/or cargo. Recognizing its persistent negative impact on the industry, ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC) identified the need to better understand this problem as a top research priority earlier this year.

The short survey asks fleets to share which types of predatory towing they deal with most frequently, what fees or delays they consider predatory, and in which states they have encountered predatory tows. It also seeks participants for a second round of more detailed data collection that will allow ATRI to quantify the frequency and operational impact of each type of predatory event. All data collected will be kept completely confidential.

“We all know that predatory towing is an issue, yet until now there has been no robust analysis on how, when, and where it happens or the impact of legislation designed to regulate these predatory practices,” said Shawn R. Brown, Cargo Transporters Vice President of Safety. “By participating in ATRI’s data-driven research, carriers will be helping to answer these questions and outline solutions.” Motor carriers and drivers are encouraged to complete the survey by going to: https://www.research.net/r/ATRI-Pred-Towing-Survey.

European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and EASA Sign a MoC Promoting Inter-Agency Cooperation

Patrick Ky and Jean-Marc Cluzeau met with Josef Doppelbauer, executive director of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and members of his team in Valenciennes, for the signature of a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in November.

The MoC promotes cooperation and establishes a regular structured dialogue between the Agencies, enhancing the sharing of information, knowledge and experience in three core areas of cooperation.

Core areas of cooperation refer to three essential domains:

• European Co-ordination center for Accident and Incident Reporting Systems (ECCAIRS)

• Big data and

• Sustainability

EASA’s Geert Kinders, Léopold Viroles and Dietmar Bloemen, respectively points of contact for the three core areas, participated remotely to the meeting for a joint presentation with their ERA counterparts on the progress made so far.

Patrick Ky and Joseph Doppelbauer congratulated the participants for the work done and discussed the perspectives and expected benefit of future work on cooperation.

They agreed to meet again within one year in Cologne for a progress review meeting.