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Tens of thousands of our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers die every year in transportation-related accidents.  According to the NTSB, most of those accidents are preventable.  Today the safety agency announced its top ten list of Most Wanted safety improvements for the next two years at a press conference with its chairman, Christopher Hart.  The announcement of the list is a way for the NTSB to spotlight critical transportation safety issues and raise public awareness.
The list covers all modes of transportation – rail, aviation, highway and marine.
The top ten list are:
  • Increase collision avoidance technologies
  • Ensure safe shipment of hazardous goods
  • Prevent loss of control in flight
  • Improve rail transit safety
  • End alcohol and other drug impairment in transportation
  • Reduce fatigue-related accidents
  • Require medical fitness
  • Strengthen occupant protection
  • Expand recorder use to enhance safety
Citing human error as the leading cause of accidents, the NTSB encourages increased use of collision warning and positive train control as safety net technologies already available today to reduce highway and rail deaths.  With the increased shipment of flammable liquids and lithium batteries, the agency is calling for greater care to avoid deadly accidents.  The agency also recommends better training for first responders responding to accidents involving hazardous chemicals.
In aviation, the NTSB is once again focusing on loss of control in flight for general aviation pilots, citing statistics that show one-half of all accidents are caused by a pilot’s loss of control of the aircraft.  The agency highlights the importance of maintaining situational awareness and using available technologies to assist the pilot in avoiding deadly stalls.
The agency recommends greater rail transit safety oversight to protect against deadly disasters, including increased monitoring to ensure small problems don’t become major ones.
Fatigue and fatigue-related accidents continue to be a critical safety concern across all modes of transportation, especially when combined with drug or alcohol use.  Many over-the-counter drugs have side effects that can increase sleepiness.  Transportation operators need to be aware of the effects of all medications on their abilities.  Alcohol continues to be a leading cause of transportation accidents, with other drugs, including dangerous synthetic drugs, also having an impact on safe transportation.
The NTSB is once again calling for fitness standards for transportation workers to ensure that they are fit for duty. And calling on personnel to exercise responsibility to ensure that they are medically fit.
Eliminating distractions remains a major safety focus for the next two years.  The NTSB warns of the importance of keeping hands, eyes and minds focused on the transportation task. The NTSB is also seeking greater awareness of the use of safety enhancements, such as seat belts.  But also calling for greater attention to design and construction of transportation vehicles to eliminate unnecessary injuries or deaths in the event of an accident.
Finally, the NTSB is calling for an increased use of accident data recorders to afford investigators better data to determine why an accident occurred and how to prevent it in the future.