AAA- AAA Calls Upon NTSB To Review Bay Bridge Safety

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1405 G St, NW Washington, DC, 20005 202-481-6820

July 22, 2013 Honorable Deborah Hersman Chairman National Transportation Safety Board 490 LEnfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20594 Dear Chairman Hersman: According to news reports, on Friday night, July 19, a passenger vehicle travelling eastbound on Marylands Chesapeake Bay Bridge was struck by a large truck, went over the barrier and plunged 40 feet into the Chesapeake Bay. Thankfully the driver survived. Based upon the news reports, we believe this crash merits investigation by the NTSB, and call upon your agency to undertake an investigation. AAA Mid-Atlantic, which represents nearly 900,000 member motorists in Maryland, has questioned barrier standards in the wake of several high-profile tragedies in the state. For example, following another fatal crash on the Bridge in August 2008, when a tractor trailer went off the bridge and the driver died, we expressed strong concern about the failure of the barriers to keep the truck on the bridge. We had expressed similar concerns with the Maryland State Highway Administration even earlier, when a large gas tanker truck went through a barrier on an I-895 overpass above I-95 and crashed onto I-95 killing several motorists in the inferno. In both incidents, Maryland authorities informed us that federal standards only required barriers to contain cars and impacts from car crashes. Federal specifications, they said, did not require barriers to be able to withstand direct impacts from tractor trailers. Based upon recent history, there would appear to be a failure of the restraint system on the Bay Bridge. Although a truck was involved, the vehicle that ultimately hit the barrier, and then went over it, was a passenger vehicle. This clearly raises questions about whether there was a failure of the specific restraint system used on the bridge, and whether it meets federal specifications, or whether the federal specifications for bridge barriers are inadequate to restrain a vehicle in this type of crash. If so, does this warrant an examination of the adequacy of those federal specifications? Given that the Bay Bridge is very heavily used with typically over 25 million vehicle trips a year, we believe it is important that motorists know that if a crash happens, the structures on the Bridge will keep them on the Bridge. We believe its critical that your agency investigate this so that millions of

AAA- AAA Calls Upon NTSB To Review Bay Bridge Safety

motorists and their passengers can be assured that the Bridge is safe and that the restraint systems will keep them on the bridge in the event of a crash. No motorist using this facility should have to worry about going off the bridge in the event of an incident. We think your agencys investigation of this crash would provide that assurance or lead to the changes necessary to provide motorists that peace of mind.
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Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. Sincerely, Mahlon G. Lon Anderson Managing Director, Public and Government Affairs AAA Mid-Atlantic

cc: Hon. James T Smith, Jr. Maryland Secretary of Transportation and Board Chairman, Maryland Transportation Authority Hon. Bruce Gartner Executive Secretary, Maryland Transportation Authority