FOR RELEASE: May 15, 2001    SB-01-11

NTSB ISSUES MOST WANTED SAFETY LIST FOR 2001, ADDS VIDEO RECORDERS, BOOSTER SEATS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board today issued its Most Wanted Transportation Safety Improvements list for 2001. All 11 issue areas from last year remained on the list. The Safety Board also added recommendations requiring booster seats for children not yet large enough for seat belts and the installation of a crash-protective video recording system in certain of the smallest commercial aircrafts. Last year's issue item of Child/Youth Safety in Transportation was separated into two issue items: Child Occupant Protection and Youth Highway Safety. Additionally, Positive Train Separation was superseded by Positive Train Control Systems.

"Although the Safety Board has an 82 percent acceptance rate for its recommendations, there are several areas of transportation safety where we believe major improvements must be made," said NTSB Acting Chairman Carol Carmody. "For example, runway incursions are increasing significantly despite the FAA's Runway Incursion Programs. Only three states have regulations requiring booster seats for children too large for safety seats but not yet large enough for seat belts. We are issuing this list to heighten public awareness of our concerns."

During today's meeting, the Board removed several recommendations that were successfully accomplished from issue items on the Most Wanted list. They include: Enactment of comprehensive legislation both to address the problem of alcohol and/or drug use by recreational boat operators, and to include information on the safe operation of personal watercraft in all recreational boating courses. Both recommendations were classified as "Closed-Acceptable Action."

Five of the twelve recommendations on the 2001 list have been on the Most Wanted List since its inception in 1990. The Safety Board continues to make recommendations to federal and state government agencies, industry and private companies in the five areas of runway incursions, human fatigue, recreational boating safety, excavation damage prevention to underground facilities, and positive train control.

The new safety recommendations are available at the Safety Board's web page,< www.ntsb.gov >, under "Recommendations and Accomplishments."

NTSB Media Contact: Terry N. Williams (202) 314-6100