NTSB’s 10 Most Wanted List – 2012

Kelly Messerschmidt
Technical Communications Manager
MSC

Each year the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) releases a list of 10 most-wanted safety improvements. The agency’s annual list is intended to increase awareness and support for the most critical changes necessary for reducing traffic accidents.

The following are a few of the advocacy priorities that appear on this year’s list:

Eliminate Distraction in Transportation
The NTSB suggests that states and regulators ban the nonessential use of portable electronic devices that don’t directly support a driving-related task. The agency suggests that manufacturers develop technology that disables portable electronic devices within reach of the driver. They also point out that young drivers are especially likely to use portable electronic devices (such as cell phones) when driving, and that antidistraction campaigns specifically directed at teens are important.

Mandate Motor Vehicle Collision Avoidance Technologies
Technologies such as electronic stability control, lane departure warning, and forward collision warning exist to help improve drivers’ reaction time and aid drivers when an unexpected driving condition occurs. Despite the availability of these and other technologies, some are not required or mandated. The NTSB purports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) should establish standards and mandate certain technologies as standard equipment in cars and commercial motor vehicles.

Improve the Safety of Bus Operations
The NTSB puts forth that an important step in improving the safety of bus operations is ensuring that professional motorcoach drivers are qualified. Methods of helping ensure that a driver can be considered "qualified" include longer and more comprehensive reviews of their driving history, maintaining higher expectations and standards as far as drivers’ undergoing regular medical exams, and limiting drivers’ hours of service.

In addition to these most-wanted improvements, the NTSB lists safety improvements in areas including aviation, rail, and infrastructure.

Read more about NTSB’s most-wanted safety improvements at the agency's website. 

Paying Attention to Tour Bus Safety: Surprise Roadside Inspections at Yosemite National Park

Approximately 250,000 visitors arrive at Yosemite National Park on tour buses each year, and a large majority of the tour bus passengers are international visitors. During a five day period of surprise roadside inspections of commercial tour buses at Yosemite National Park, June 9-20, only 31% (47 of 153) of the buses were deemed safe and released with no citation. In contrast, 21% were deemed so unsafe that they were taken out of service by federal inspectors (22 for safety-related equipment problems, and 10 for drivers' logbook violations).

The unannounced inspections were carried out by the FMCSA in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the National Park Service (NPS), along with Yosemite Law Enforcement Rangers and other agencies. Surprise inspections like this will take place at the park this year. Read more about the June 2010 Yosemite inspection event.