NTSB unveils ‘Most Wanted’ list for 2015
Washington – The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a clear message along with its annual “Most Wanted” list of safety improvements for 2015.
NTSB unveiled its 10 top issues for the year during the 94th annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board on Jan. 13.
Transportation in the United States is safer than ever, NTSB Acting Chairman Christopher Hart said, but much work remains.
Distracted driving remains a top transportation safety concern. In 2012, NTSB called for a ban on all use of portable electronic devices while driving. The agency also cited a June 2014 poll by the National Safety Council showing that 73 percent of drivers want stricter enforcement of texting laws.
NTSB’s four new issues for 2015 are:
- Improve rail tank car safety
- Strengthen procedural compliance
- Strengthen commercial trucking safety
- Require medical fitness for duty
Meanwhile, the list includes six return issues from 2014:
- Disconnect from deadly distractions
- End substance impairment in transportation
- Enhance public helicopter safety
- Implement positive train control in 2015
- Make mass transit safer
- Prevent loss of control in flight in general aviation
"The NTSB's Most Wanted List appropriately highlights two critical safety issues: distracted driving and prescription painkiller use," Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of NSC, said in a press release. "Our desire to be constantly connected, even while behind the wheel, results in far too many deadly crashes, while the proliferation and misuse of prescription painkillers results in 46 overdose deaths per day. The Council thanks NTSB for keeping these important issues on its Most Wanted List, because continued attention and education are key ingredients of culture change."