NTSB chief to fed agency: Stop using misleading statistics

By HOPE YEN and TOM KRISHER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — With traffic fatalities spiking, the nation’s top safety investigator says a widely cited government statistic that 94% of serious crashes are solely due to driver error is misleading and the Transportation Department should stop using it. Jennifer Homendy chairs the National Transportation Safety Board. She told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she’s surprised the wording remains on the department’s website. Safety advocates have urged the department to stop using the figure, which they say ignores the role of government and automakers in fixing the problem. The department is slated to release a plan next week to stave off crashes and says it will update its information in the “near future.”