[Wolf Blitzer, Cnn Anchor:] The NTSB go team is at the site of the train derailment in the Bronx that killed four people and injured dozens more. They've downloaded data from both of the on-board recorders. Tweeted out this picture of one of them. The recorders will play an important role in helping to determine if speed was a factor. Joining us, the former NTSB managing director, Peter Goelz. Peter, thanks very much for coming in. How much are we going to learn, investigators, from these recovered data recorders?
[Peter Goelz, Former Managing Director, Ntsb:] I think we're going to learn a great deal. I think if we're focusing in on speed and braking, the data recorders, while they're not as complex as aviation data recorders, it will give you the essential information. Most importantly, it will give you a little historical information. Were the brakes functioning at the previous stop? I think we'll know a lot more at the 4: 00 briefing.
[Blitzer:] The train operator says he tried to apply the brakes but that it still wouldn't stop the train. Have you heard about this happening before?
[Goelz:] That's pretty unusual. I think there's going to be two things that the NTSB are going to really zero in on the next couple days. One is, what was this is driver's situation in terms of work rules? You know, the 72 hours before? Was he getting the appropriate rest? Was he in any way fatigued on the day of the accident? Secondly, they'll be looking at distractions. Was this driver paying attention to his job? Hopefully, there was no use of handheld personal devices like cell phones or computers. Hopefully, he was paying attention. And then they'll zero in on the equipment, on whether the equipment functioned as advertised.
[Blitzer:] It's pretty shocking to me, Peter, that there are no video cameras on these trains. That would obviously be very useful right now in an investigation. Why is that?
[Goelz:] Well, that has been a controversial issue for a number of years. And it focuses in on union work rules. You know, the engineers in the cabs do not like to have videotape recordings taking place. They believe that they'll be misused by management and they'll be misused in the public domain. Even though, you know, the voice recorders on, in, cockpits of airplanes have been very well protected. There is no reason why we can't have video recordings in the cabins.
[Blitzer:] It's surprising in this day and age. The other thing that's pretty surprising to me, and tell me where I'm wrong, if I am, no seat belts. There are seat belts on cars and planes. But on trains, there are no seat belts. And those who were killed I think, all of them were ejected, were thrown off the train.
[Goelz:] I think the NTSB is about going to look at that issue of the ejections to see the crash worthiness of these cars made by Bombardian. But we've looked and considered seat belts on trains. But, frankly, there is not enough data to justify requiring them. And because of the mass transit applications of rail, boy, it's almost impossible to implement that kind of rule.
[Blitzer:] Well, let me throw this out at you. If those four people who died died because they were thrown off those train cars, they might have lived if they would have been fastened in, in a seat belt, right?
[Goelz:] You are absolutely right. And they will look at that. It's going to be an issue that will be discussed.
[Blitzer:] We'll learn a lot more, 4:00 p.m. eastern at the news conference. We'll have live coverage here on CNN. Peter, thanks very much for helping us.
[Goelz:] Thank you, Wolf.
[Blitzer:] The Obamacare website may be working better but expanding coverage is not the only issue. Sanjay Gupta says insurance alone won't make us healthier. Sanjay, standing by live. We'll talk to him when we come back.