Safety Investigation Authority of Iceland established June the 1st, 2013

On 21st of February 2013, Act no. 18/2013 in Althing was approved, on the investigation of transport accidents. The Act merges the activities of the Air Accident Investigation Board, the Marine Accident Investigation Board and the Traffic Accident Investigation Board into a single investigative committee. The three committees were merged into one seven-member committee of inquiry into transport accidents, which reports to the Minister of the Interior, together with 6 deputies. The law entered into force on 1 June 2013.

RNSA is an institution that is administratively under the Minister of infrastructure. It operates independently and independently of the government and other investigators, the prosecution and the courts. The RNSA employs 7 people, i.e. 6 investigators and 1 receptionist. Furthermore, within the board, the minister appoint 6 board members, 6 deputy board members and a chairman of the board.

The law contains, among other things, three different chapters on the investigation of aviation accidents, maritime accidents and traffic accidents (as well as serious incidents). Research is thus divided into individual categories, cf. Article 4 of the Act.

The aim of the law is to reduce accidents and increase safety in transport by strengthening and improving accident investigations. An investigation under the Act shall only be aimed at finding out the causes of transport accidents and incidents, and not at dividing blame or responsibility, with the aim of reducing the risk of similar accidents and incidents and the consequences of similar accidents.