The Department of Transportation launched the Safety Data Initiative on Wednesday, a program aimed at making government data relating to every aspect of safety available to the public.
The initiative hopes to stimulate the development of innovative apps and services fueled by that data. It was announced by Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Chief Technology Officer Todd Park as part of the Department of Transportation’s National Transportation Week.
“We know that helping Americans gain access to practical information can help them make smarter, safer choices,” LaHood and Park wrote on the White House blog. “So, coordinated by DOT, this new collaborative effort involving Federal agencies and members of the public aims to unleash Americans’ entrepreneurial spirit by encouraging participants to build a range of innovative digital tools and mobile applications to enhance public and product safety.”
DOT and the Department of Labor are also launching two related app challenges that include the Motorcoach Safety Data Student Challenge and Worker Safety and Health Challenge.
