National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said the nation's passenger ferries need aggressive safety management systems. He encouraged ship owners and operators to use a safety management system to resolve safety problems before casualties or incidents occur, rather than to simply comply with regulations imposed from outside. In his speech he noted that, safety management systems are mandatory for U.S.-flag vessels on international voyages. The Federal regulations, however, do not apply to U.S. vessels that operate on domestic waters, including the Staten Island Ferry and most other ferry operations in the country.
