Airline passengers could get to use their cell phones and other portable electronic devices (PEDs) more while in flight, depending upon the results of a task force study on the issue. Government and industry experts including representatives from the mobile technology and aviation manufacturing industries, pilot and flight attendant groups, and airlines, held their first meeting last week to study PED use.

This morning, Secretary Ray LaHood announced to the employees of the U.S. Department of Transportation that after serving for four years in President Obama’s Cabinet, he would not be staying on for the second term. The Secretary sent the following email to DOT employees across the country, informing them of his plans:

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) submitted comments on Jan. 22 raising questions about a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed-policy to allow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) oversight of aircraft cabin workplace safety issues. The FAA proposal raises the specter of additional oversight and regulation of business aircraft operations, according to an NBAA press statement.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 32,310 motor vehicle traffic fatalities occurred in 2011.  With snowfall and the potential for icy roads now part of many forecasts, it’s even more important for drivers to be cautious and follow the rules of the road. To remind commuters to avoid hazardous driving behaviors, Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS), a leader in first-aid and safety products, has identified the seven worst driving offenders.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman is testifying about pipeline safety today before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Hersman will provide an overview of the NTSB’s ongoing investigation into the cause of a natural gas transmission pipeline rupture that occurred in Sissonville, West Virginia on Dec.11, 2012.

Progress in traffic safety is “at risk of being undone,” according to a safety group that has put together a 2013 Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws, a report card grading all 50 states and the District of Columbia on their performance on 15 basic traffic safety laws.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on the Dec. 11, 2012, rupture of a natural gas transmission line in Sissonville, W.Va.

Pilots won't be allowed to use smartphones or laptop computers for non-work purposes -- like surfing the web or sending emails - under a rule being proposed by the Federal Aviation Authority. At issue: potentially dangerous distractions, such as a 2009 incident in which two Northwest Airlines pilots flew 150 miles past their destination because they were engrossed in using their laptop computers for personal activities.

The BNSF Railway Co. has signed an accord with OSHA in which the company agrees to voluntary revise several personnel policies that OSHA alleged violated the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act and dissuaded workers from reporting on-the-job injuries.