Reporting Of Accidents Casualities In The Railroad Industry

Committee Serial No. 91-32. Considers S. 1933 and similar S. 2915 and S. 3061, to authorize DOT inspection and regulation of railroad cars and equipment to ensure railroad safety. July 14 hearing was held in Indianapolis, Ind., to conduct an investigation into several Indiana railroad accidents.

"The evolution of railroad safety, Aldrich argues, involved the interplay of market forces, science and technology, and legal and public pressures. He considers the railroad as a system in its entirety: operational realities, technical constraints, economic history, internal politics, and labor management. Aldrich shows that economics initially encouraged American carriers to build and operate cheap and dangerous lines. Only over time did the trade-off between safety and output - shaped by labor markets and public policy - motivate carriers to develop technological improvements that enhanced both productivity and safety."--BOOK JACKET.