WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will convene a public forum to discuss large truck and bus safety, a topic of continued focus for the agency.

At the May 10-11 event, the NTSB will review the progress that has been made since it held a series of public hearings on the matter in 1999 and 2000.

The forum will be chaired by NTSB Board Member Robert L. Sumwalt and will focus on such issues as government oversight, carrier operations, driver training and licensing, driver safety and health, and enhanced vehicle safety technologies.

"As evidenced by the recent tragic accidents [both tour buses] in New York and New Jersey, there is still a lot of work to do in the area of highway safety," Sumwalt said. "During this forum, we will review the effectiveness of established programs as well as new initiatives in motor carrier operations and vehicle safety to ensure we are doing all we can to make our nation's highways safer."

In the decade since its hearings on truck and bus safety, the NTSB has issued about 400 recommendations aimed at helping reduce the number of deaths from truck and bus related accidents. The agency said that while there has been a general decline in the number of deaths since 1999, thousands are still killed and tens of thousands injured each year in accidents involving large trucks and buses.

"We will certainly use this forum to review our advances over the last 10 years, but more importantly, we will use it as an opportunity to generate new ideas that will lead to future successes in truck and bus safety," Sumwalt said.

Representatives from federal and state agencies, the trucking and bus industries, unions, and advocacy groups will serve as panelists during the forum.

The event will be held at the NTSB's Board Room and Conference Center, located at 429 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, D.C.

The public will be able to view the forum in person or by live webcast on the NTSB website. An agenda and webcast details will be posted on the board's website on the Truck and Bus Safety Forum page.