The Federal Aviation Administration seeks multimillion-dollar fines against United Airlines and US Airways for safety violations, including flying a plane after mechanics stuffed shop towels into an engine. The agency moves for a $5.4 million fine against US Airways, which is a dominant player in the Buffalo and Western New York market, for operating eight planes on a total of 1,647 flights from October 2008 to January 2009 in violation of safety directives or the company’s own maintenance rules. More can be found on AOLNews.

Highway Work Zone Safety Needs Improvement
The New York Times reported today that there needs to be increased safety in highway work areas. Approximately 160 people are killed and 11,000 injured each year from unsafe conditions, just from pavement edge drop-offs alone. The steeper the drop off the more dangerous the condition becomes.