Although more people die each year in automobile accidents than in airline crashes, the American public’s fear of air travel and airliner safety mounts with each passing incident involving the aviation industry.

These fears are not unfounded, and the recent events in Chicago, where an American Airlines jet skidded off the runway, and in Sioux City, Iowa, where hydraulic failure was blamed for the flight crew losing control of their jet, indicate the need for some pro-active action to be taken in the air travel industry.

Thanks to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, such action is beginning to take shape. It might be a little too late, but as the saying goes, “better late than never.”

As part of a recent request, the transportation safety board has urged the FAA to conduct surveys on DC-9’s, DC-10’s and other similar crafts to determine if the decade-old planes have common problems with hydraulic systems, landing gear and bolts used to secure such things as landing flaps and landing gear.

The FAA has 90 days to respond to such orders, but in response to the recent Chicago incident, representatives from the FAA have said the process is being “accelerated.”

This attempt to rectify problems before more lives are lost is a good showing by the two agencies. If the intent of the surveys is to save lives and not corporate money, then maybe those who choose to travel by air can rest a bit easier when they board their flights.