Even the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has begun tweeting. The NTSB announced last week that it is embracing social media by establishing a Twitter account and a Youtube channel.

"Transparency and open government are key components of NTSB's agenda to improve transportation safety," said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. "Social media is yet another opportunity for us to engage with our most important stakeholders - the traveling public."

The NTSB says it will use Twitter to communicate with those interested in its investigative work and advocacy programs to enhance transportation safety. The handle for the Twitter account is "ntsb" (www.twitter.com/ntsb).

The Safety Board will post advocacy video messages and transportation accident animations on its Tube channel, which is “ntsbgov” (www.youtube.com/ntsbgov).

Chairman Hersman's first video message on YouTube is a two-minute video about the NTSB's child and youth transportation safety initiative: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBzZaOOM-3I.