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NTSB Releases 2015 Most Wanted List of Safety Recommendations

Drunk and Drugged Driving Among Top Concerns

Each year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) releases a “Most Wanted List,” a list of 10 safety concerns that warrant urgent attention and top priority status based on past accident investigations. The goal of the list is to increase awareness about these concerns and encourage those in the traffic safety and transportation fields to implement viable solutions over the course of the year.

The NTSB’s goal to end substance impairment in transportation is on the list again this year and continues to be our focus, as we’ve been working to educate parents and the public about the dangers of driving drunk for more than 23 years. To end substance impairment in transportation, the NTSB recommends additional countermeasures relating to post-crash data collection and the documentation and reporting of crash data, increased use of high visibility enforcement, expanded use of ignition interlock devices, and targeted measures for repeat offenders, including DWI Courts.

The NTSB defines substance impairment as not only alcohol related but also due to over the counter medications, prescription medications, and illicit drugs, as well. The NTSB states in its information released today:

“Research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that the proportion of fatally injured drivers who had drugs in their system rose from 13 percent to 18 percent from 2005 to 2009, and in 2012, 10.3 million people reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs in the past year.”

Another goal on the NTSB’s Most Wanted list is that we all disconnect from deadly distractions. The NTSB recommends increasing education about and enforcement of existing laws, as well as legislation in states that do not have hands-free laws. We’re dedicated to educating the country’s most vulnerable drivers – teens, who have the least experience behind the wheel – through the IKnowEverything program. Coupled with supporting legislation in states across the country, we know that by working together we can help stop distracted driving.

While drunk driving deaths declined in 2013, we know that effective countermeasures are required to continue this encouraging trend. We look forward to continuing our work with the NTSB and our other traffic safety partners to offer proven strategies to stop impaired driving.

The goals on the 2015 Most Wanted List, released this morning, are:

1.    Disconnect from Deadly Distractions

2.    End Substance Impairment in Transportation

3.    Enhance Public Helicopter Safety

4.    Implement Positive Train Control in 2015

5.    Improve Rail Tank Car Safety

6.    Make Mass Transit Safer

7.    Prevent Loss of Control in Flight in General Aviation

8.    Require Medical Fitness for Duty

9.    Strengthen Commercial Trucking Safety

10.  Strengthen Procedural Compliance

Visit NTSB.gov/MostWanted to learn more about the NTSB’s Most Wanted List.

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