The National Transportation Safety Board last week released its "Most Wanted Transportation Safety Improvements" for 2001. A third of the 12 items affect trucking.

One of the items, "Commercial Truck & Bus Safety," added for the first time last year, actually covers several items: carrier rating standards, occupant safety, hours of service regulations and vehicle standards. The occupant safety sub-item has been added this year. The NTSB - an advisory group with no power to create rules - calls here on the U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration to take action to address these concerns.
The board also wants to see studies done and regulations updated regarding operator fatigue in transportation operations - not only truck and bus drivers, but all modes of transport, including air, rail and sea.
The NTSB wants to see automatic information recording devices on trucks and buses. These devices would, among other things, help in accident reconstruction much like the "black boxes" do on airplanes.
The board is also pushing for states to enact primary enforcement of seat belt laws.
The Safety Board established the Most Wanted Safety Recommendations Program in 1990. The recommendations placed on this list are selected by the Board as issues for intensified follow-up and to heighten public awareness of these safety concerns.