On September 20, 2005, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a press release calling on states to add cell phone prohibition for teans learning to drive to their Most Wanted Safety Improvement list. The press release also removed the recommendations that called for comprehensive underage drinking and driving laws and nighttime restrictions for young novice drivers. In September of 2006, NTSB issued an update to their "most wanted" list.
The Most Wanted list is a way for the NTSB to focus attention on transportation safety improvements that it believes will have a significant impact on reducing deaths and injuries.
There are 14 recommendations to state governments that comprise the six issue areas on the board's list. Omitted here are three recreational boating safety recommendations (More information at: http://www.ntsb.gov/).
Enact Primary Seat Belt Enforcement Laws
Of the more than 31,400 automobile occupants who died in highway crashes in 2005, 55 percent were unrestrained. Lap/shoulder belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to a front seat occupant by 45 percent. Also, adult belt use translates into more children being restrained; when adults buckle up, 86 percent of children are restrained, and when adults don't buckle up, only 50 percent of children are restrained.
The enactment of a primary seatbelt law allows officers to cite drivers not wearing seat belts even if they have committed no other offense. Twenty five states do not have a primary enforcement law, and 16 primary enforcement States lack seat belt laws that apply to all seating positons.
Where does Washington stand on seatbelt laws?
Improve Child Occupant Protection
From 1996 through 2005, more than 3,800 children between the ages of four and eight were killed in traffic crashes. About 50 percent of them were unrestrained. Of those restrained, most were improperly strapped into adult-sized seat belts, rather than in a child safety seat or booster seat.
Thirty five states, American Samoa, Guam and the US Virgin Islands lack laws requiring that children between the ages of 4 and 8 use booster seats.
Where does Washington stand on booster seats?
Promote Youth Highway Safety
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-to- 20-year-olds, with 122 teens dying each week. This issue area has three recommendations.
1) Restrict young, novice drivers with provisional (intermediate) licenses, unless accompanied by a supervising adult driver who is at least 21 years old, from carrying more than one passenger under the age of 20 until they receive an unrestricted license or for at least 6 months (whichever is longer). 2) Enact laws to provide for a three stage graduated licensing system for young novice drivers, and (1) above. 3) Enact legislation to prohibit holders of learner's permits and intermediate licenses from using interactive wireless communication devices while driving.
Twenty-eight states lack passenger restrictions for young drivers that satisfy the board's recommendation. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia have adopted a three-stage graduated licensing system, although some states do not include certain elements. Four states have enacted partial systems. Thirty-nine states lack an interactive wireless communication prohibition that applies to both holders of learner's permits and intermediate licenses.
Where does Washington stand on young driver passenger restriction?
Impose restrictions on young drivers with provisional licenses limiting the number of teenagers they can have in a car with them to no more than one. The risk of crashes increases with each teenaged passenger; with three teenaged passengers, the risk of a fatal crash is three times what it would be for a 16-year-old driving alone, and five times more than an adult driver. Twenty five states have no passenger restrictions, while four states have limits of two or three teen passengers.
Where does Washington stand on Graduated Licensing Laws?
Enact laws to provide for a three-stage graduated licensing system for young novice drivers, and restrict young novice drivers with provisional or intermediate licenses (second stage), unless accompanied by a supervising adult driver who is at least 21 years old, from carrying more than one passenger under the age of 20 until they receive an unrestricted license or for at least 6 months (whichever is longer).
Where does Washington stand on legislation prohibiting youths from using interactive wireless communication devices while driving?
Eliminate Hard Core Drinking Driving
Hard core drinking drivers are defined as those having two DUI arrests in a 10-year period or any arrest with a BAC of 0.15 percent. In 2005, hard core drinking drivers were involved in a minimum of 9,236 highway fatalities, the estimated cost of which was more than $9.1 billion.
The NTSB asks states to establish a comprehensive program aimed at these drivers (the Board suggested 11 possible elements to such a system). Since the Safety Board's recommendation was issued, all States have considered legislation related to the Board's recommendation, and at least 23 States and the District of Columbia have adopted one or more elements of the model program. No State has all of the elements recommended in the Board's model program; however five States have made sufficient progress for closure.
Where does Washington stand on Hard Core Drinking Drivers?
School Bus/Grade Crossing Safety
Although accidents involving school buses at grade crossings are rare, they have the potential to be catastrophic. There are more than 81,000 passive grade crossings that are not on private property in the U.S; that is, they are not protected by either automatic gates or lights that warn the motorist when a train is coming.
The NTSB proposes that states work in cooperation with the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services to develop and implement a program of initiatives for passive grade crossings and school busses that includes five suggested program elements. These five elements are: (1) installation of stop signs at passive crossings that are traversed by school buses except where an engineering study shows their installation would create a greater hazard; (2) use of information about whether school buses routinely cross passive grade crossings as a factor in selecting crossings to upgrade with active warning devices; (3) a requirement that all newly purchased and in-service school buses be equipped with noise-reducing switches; (4) enhanced school bus driver training and evaluation, including periodic reviews of on-board videotapes where available, especially with regard to driver performance at grade crossings; and (5) incorporation of questions on passive grade crossings in the commercial driver's license manual and examination.
Where does Washington stand on grade crossings?
Maps and tables providing details on a state-by-state basis on each of these recommendations may be found on the home page of the board's website at http://www.ntsb.gov/.
All information and maps for this page courtesy of the National Transportation Safety Board, for this and more information visit: http://www.ntsb.gov/Recs/mostwanted/index.htm