Every year since 1990, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) creates a “Most Wanted List”. The list is compiled to reduce transportation accidents and save lives by focusing on specific areas where the NTSB feels need particular improvement. This year, there are 10 areas lined for improvement.
Not all areas in the list have an impact on the trucking industry, instead focusing on aviation or other transportation areas. However there are 3 areas which will benefit those with truck driving jobs : Human Fatigue, Requiring Image and Onboard Data Recorders and Alcohol-Impaired Driving.
The first area, human fatigue, has been under investigation for many years. Since its creation, the NTSB has issued more than 180 separate safety recommendations to address the problem of human fatigue in all modes of transportation. In fact, the NTSB has investigated over 180 accidents were the cause was determined to be driver fatigue.
As a truck driver, it sometimes seems impossible not to drive while fatigued. With the constant pressure of time limits and deadlines, it can seem as if there is no time to take a break. As a resolution to driver fatigue, research is being conducted for mechanisms that can counter or eliminate fatigue. This would provide drivers with an alternative method to fatigues driving and make the task of staying within the time limits of a truck driving job an easier task.
The second Most Wanted area that has an impact on those with truck driving jobs with training concerns recorders. The NTSB believes that although electronic data recorders are in place on many commercial vehicles, it is not enough. While certain dynamics are recorded, there are still unanswered questions when investigating accidents.
To solve this issue, the NTSB is pushing for new regulations that would require a compact image recorder to be placed in commercial vehicles. By placing an image recorder in commercial vehicles, questions concerning driver actions and other safety issues would be answered. The cost for image recorders is comparatively low and the NTSB feels the benefits such a regulations would provide outweigh concerns of privacy.
The third area on the list is Alcohol-Impaired Driving. According to the NTSB, someone dies in an accident with an alcohol-impaired driver every 48 minutes. Alcohol impaired driving is entirely preventable and the NTSB has no tolerance for it. While the task of eliminating alcoholic impaired driving through one method is impossible, the NTSB is requesting stricter regulations to be implemented to deter anyone from drunk driving.
Through the year, the National Transportation Safety Board will focus on these and other safety methods to improve transportation across the board. Information on the other areas on the list and details on all areas can be found at the NTSB’s website//www.ntsb.gov/safety/mwl.html.
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