NTSB’s Wish List Dominated by Highway Safety

The 2013 Most Wanted List of the National Transportation Safety Board features 10 safety issues that the Board would like to see addressed by federal agencies. Dominating the list is highway safety, with at least 6 out of the 10 issues focusing on the prevention of accidents and injuries in the transportation sector.

There’s a reason why the National Transportation Safety Board has focused so heavily on highway safety this year. After all, transportation-related accidents account for more deaths than any other kinds of hazards every year.

This year’s list includes:

Bus safety – The National Transportation Safety Board wants higher bus safety standards, and implementation of more stringent hiring and recruitment procedures.

Airport surface operations – The Board wants a safer and more vigilant environment that prevents runway incursions, and accidents and near-miss incidents that occur on the runways.

Eliminate distractions – The Board is calling for complete bans on nonessential use of electronic communication devices while driving.

Fire safety – The Board is pointing to deficiencies in fire safety in different modes of transportation that it has found over the course of several investigations, and suggests better fire detection and prevention strategies.

General aviation safety – The Board is calling for better education and training, not just for aircraft pilots, but also maintenance workers.

Infrastructure – The National Transportation Safety Board is concerned about the lack of investment in the maintenance of bridges, highways, pipelines and railways.

Positive train control – The Board wants more widespread use of technology that can be used to take over a train when human error threatens to cause a crash.

Substance impaired-driving – The Board is calling for a comprehensive solution to impaired driving that includes better deterrence strategies, and treatment programs.

Collision avoidance – Lastly, the Board is calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to mandate crash avoidance technologies in all passenger vehicles.

Of course, all of these are only recommendations, and none of the federal agencies in charge of these issues is required to implement these.