NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart (at podium) and other board members unveiled the agency’s 2016 Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements on Wednesday. Photo courtesy NTSB

NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart (at podium) and other board members unveiled the agency’s 2016 Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements on Wednesday.
Photo courtesy NTSB

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Technology, occupant protection and distraction are among the issues addressed in the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB’s) 2016 Most Wanted List of transportation safety improvements.

The list, which agency officials unveiled on Wednesday, focuses on 10 broad safety improvements on which the NTSB has made recommendations that have not yet been implemented. Several items on the list demonstrate the agency’s view of the importance of technology in saving lives, preventing accidents and lessening the number and severity of injuries from accidents.

For example, the list calls for promoting both the availability of collision avoidance technology in highway vehicles, and the completion of rail safety initiatives to prevent accidents.

The list also calls for strengthening occupant protection in all modes of transportation, including laws mandating primary enforcement of seat belt use, and age-appropriate child restraints.

Twenty years ago, the NTSB issued its first recommendation on the use of technology to prevent rear-end collisions. According to the agency, implementation of this technology could significantly reduce motor vehicle crashes, which are by far the leading cause of death and injuries in transportation.

NTSB officials said that although federal regulators have made progress toward including such technologies in the five-star safety rating on new vehicles, the NTSB advocates including the technologies as standard equipment on all new highway vehicles — including commercial vehicles.

NTSB’s 2016 Most Wanted List also covers such safety issues as distraction (especially from portable electronic devices), fatigue, undiagnosed and untreated medical conditions, and impairment from alcohol and drugs.

All of the Most Wanted transportation safety improvements stem from NTSB’s accident investigations. To view the 2016 Most Wanted List, go here.

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