Cutting Highway And Recreational Boating Deaths

Washington, D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board challenged State legislatures and officials to make transportation safety a top "political priority" by enacting and enforcing laws to cut down on the tens of thousands of people who are killed and injured on the nation's highways and waterways every year.

During a public meeting today, the NTSB reviewed its Most Wanted List of safety improvements aimed at the States. The list urges States to take dozens of actions to reduce the carnage on the roads by requiring booster seats for young children; getting habitually drunk drivers off the road; requiring graduated driver licensing, teen passenger restrictions, and wireless communications prohibitions for new drivers. The List also urges States to adopt laws that require young children to wear life jackets and boaters and renters of jet skis to get safety instruction, and additional safety standards for school buses when they use routes containing railroad grade crossings.

NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said progress has been made by many States, but more needs to done.

"Every single one of our recommendations is important and when implemented will improve safety." Rosenker said. "Our Most Wanted program aims to highlight the safety recommendations the Board believes should be acted on as soon as possible because they have the most potential to improve safety, save lives, and reduce accidents and injuries.

The recommendations on the Most Wanted List asked for about 400 safety improvements in the States and Territories. Today the board reviewed the status of the 261 actions by the States. The Board changed the status of 53 recommendations in the following manner: Sufficient progress was made to close 23 recommendations, and positive action was identified in 19 States. There was a lack of progress on 10 actions that the Board classified as unacceptable. Issues highlighted on the "Most Wanted" list are:

• Improve Child Occupant Protection
• Primary Seat Belt Enforcement
• Promote Youth Highway Safety
• Eliminate Hard Core Drinking Driving
• School Bus/Grade Crossing Safety
• Enhance Recreational Boating Safety