A mid-air collision over Washington, DC in January that killed 67 people highlighted significant deficiencies in aviation safety protocols. The National Transportation Safety Board found that existing safety rules could have prevented the disaster, yet regulators have become hesitant to enforce them amid industry pressure. Despite a 90% reduction in fatal accidents due to improved safety standards since the 1990s, there are fears the current administration may further weaken these regulations. Historical context shows aviation regulations were shaped by past tragedies, underscoring the crucial need for adherence to these rules for effective safety.
Between 1960 and 1990, more than a thousand people died worldwide in commercial aviation accidents every year, even though flight volumes were less than a tenth of what they are today.
New safety standards and a culture of continuous improvement have reduced the fatal accident rate by 90 percent.
Well-trained flight attendants evacuated passengers from actively burning airplanes twice this year without a single fatality, even though some passengers stopped to retrieve their hand luggage.
Success in safety lacks spectacle: it depends less on personal heroism than it does on following the rules.
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