June 23, 2011

The National Transportation Safety Board’s agency web site has been revitalized and visitors will experience updated look, feel and access to information with greater ease.  The agency has also incorporated social media into its communications plan, allowing the agency to reach a broader audience with its message of transportation safety. 

The updated web site features a billboard with rotating images, a video player featuring current news and events, and an updated  NTSB’s Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements web page takes center stage.  The newest addition to the site is Across the Board, the agency’s online newsletter highlighting Board Member events, staff profiles, accomplishments, and participation in outreach events.

“This newly designed site enhances usability and at the same time increases the Safety Board’s transparency,” said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman.  “Our use of new technology also allows us to update and disseminate information often instantaneously.” 

NTSB’s Web Content Developer James Mathieson says of the current site, “every aspect of the site’s usability, from the contemporary design to a new approach to the organization and presentation of the content, has been improved. Users of NTSB.gov will see a series of menus which quickly take them to the most requested content, grouped together thematically around the Board’s key missions.”

During the last six months, some of the emerging communications enhancements the Safety Board has adopted include:  the NTSB’s You-tube channel  which highlights videos of our press briefings during the on-scene phase of many of our major investigations;  the NTSB Safety Compass Blog, which has  included a wide range posts on transportation safety topics such as motorcycle safety, teen driving, boating safety, pipeline safety, and fatigue in transportation; daily tweets and a media room. 

As for the future of enhancements to NTSB’s website Hersman states, “As communication channels and traditional media outlets increase, we will continue exploring new avenues to provide information.”