The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) issued the Safety Advisory and Press Release below on March 22, 2007 to inform the traveling public and airline employees about the importance of properly packing and handling batteries and battery-powered devices when they are carried aboard passenger aircraft. The Advisory provides information regarding several incidents involving batteries in checked or carry-on baggage and the Federal regulations that passengers must follow when traveling with these products. 

PRBA supports DOT's recommended practices for passengers that are traveling with batteries or battery powered products.  These include keeping batteries installed in electronic devices; packing spare batteries in carry-on baggage only; keeping spare batteries in their original retail packaging; separating batteries from other metallic objects such as keys, coins and jewelry by packing individual batteries in a sturdy plastic bag; securely packing battery-powered equipment in a manner to prevent accidental activation; and ensuring batteries are undamaged and purchased from reputable sources.

The DOT also has established a website at http://SafeTravel.dot.gov that provides battery safe travel tips for the public.

For more information, contact George Kerchner at gkerchner@prba.org.

DOT Safety Advisory

DOT Press Release on Safety Advisory