A 17-month investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board points to the train engineer’s undiagnosed sleep apnea as the probable cause of the crash. US Senator Cory Booker says future incidents can be avoided if personnel are screened and treated for the disorder.
“And those people that work hard, and commute daily should be able to rest, they should be able to sleep on that train with confidence that we are doing everything necessary to keep them safe.”
Senator Bob Menendez is calling out the Trump administration for rolling back an Obama era plan that would have mandated testing.
“It’s absurd to think that Congress might have to pass another law to tell a federal agency to pass common sense rulemaking that was already underway.”
The Federal Railroad Administration withdrew from a proposal last year to require sleep apnea screenings for train engineers and employees. New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell says that choice is putting lives at risk.
“Congrees cannot allow the US Department of Transportation to be asleep at the wheel, the switch, on rules to require diagnosis and treatment for a medical condition that has cost too many lives.”