support of the inclusion of positive train control as a part of a probable cause. Although I agree with the Board's vote and believe that the primary probable cause of the derailment was the engineer's failure to reduce the train's speed as appropriate, the reality is that such a failure is foreseeable.
Every mode of transportation is working toward technological solutions for human errors. In rail, a solution already exists. It cannot be overstated that positive train control would have prevented this derailment. While the lack of positive train control did not initiate the accident, it certainly could have stopped it. The NTSB has seen far too many instances where available, effective technology would have saved lives. Ultimately, that is the sad truth here. The only good to come out of a tragedy of this nature is that we learn from it and, finally, act to keep something like this from happening again.
Chairman Hart and Vice Chairman Dinh-Zarr joined in this statement.
56
