The annual “most wanted list” compiled each year by the National Transportation Safety Board for 2012 is out. The list is considered a look at the future of safety technology in the field of transportation. It includes safety improvements and technological changes that the NTSB advocates for the near future. Two areas on this year’s “most wanted list” are:
Eliminating Driving Distractions
The increased use of cellphones and other hand-held electronic devices has made distracted driving a bigger problem than ever. The NTSB points to some highly-publicized transportation tragedies that were the result of driver distraction:
- An experienced motor coach driver collided with a bridge in 2004 while talking on a hands-free cellphone.
- An engineer ignored a red signal while texting, which resulted in a head-on collision causing 25 deaths and many more injuries
- In 2009, pilots overflew their destination by more than 100 miles because they were distracted by their laptops
- A tugboat operator crashed into a passenger boat in 2010, killing two people, because he was paying too much attention to his cellphone and laptop computer.
Car wrecks occur every day as a result of distracted driving. In 2010, more than 3,000 people were killed in distracted-driving collisions and 400,000 others were injured. The NTSB would like to see all states ban nonessential use of all portable electronic devices in vehicles, planes, trains, and vessels. Furthermore, it calls on manufacturers to develop technology that will disable an electronic device when it is within reach of an operator. The NTSB would also like to see all law enforcement agencies use a uniform system for reporting accidents that includes a method for recording whether the use of a nonessential portable electronic device contributed to the accident.
Bus Safety
New York and New Jersey see a significant amount of passenger bus traffic each year. Unfortunately, according to the NTSB, bus safety could benefit from improvements. Bus drivers are often fatigued or distracted while driving. Bus companies also frequently fail to perform adequate oversight or blatantly skirt laws designed for passenger safety.
The NTSB calls for onboard video recorders to assess the performance of bus drivers. More attention should also be paid to the hours of service rules that are intended to prevent fatigued driving. Finally, the NTSB wants bus companies to do more thorough background checks on prospective drivers, and it favors requiring bus companies to prove their safety performance before receiving operating authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
Talk to a New York and New Jersey Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been injured in a New York/New Jersey car or bus accident, contact the New York and New Jersey injury accident attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., to find out what legal options you may have. With seven offices conveniently located in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, we have an office near you. Contact the firm today by calling 888-446-2783 or fill out our online contact form for your free consultation.