“Human error continues to be the leading cause of the more than 30,000 traffic deaths every year”


dangers on our roadways,” Hart said. “To reach zero fatalities, our culture needs an attitudinal and behavioral shift.” Transportation safety leaders have been discussing the future of the industry, looking to the potential of driver assis- tance technologies Tis past month, the NTSB and the


Distracted Driving and Driver Fatigue Top NTSB Most Wanted List


WRITTEN BY SEAN GALLAGHER C


hristopher Hart, chairman of the National Transporta- tion Safety Board, has had a distinguished career in


transportation safety. But this calling came long before he joined the agency in 2009. Te field of transportation is written into his DNA.


On top of being a licensed pilot, Hart’s


great uncle, James Herman Banning, was the first African American to receive a pilot’s license from the federal govern- ment in 1926. Hart previously worked for the Federal


Aviation Administration as deputy direc- tor of Air Traffic Safety Oversight. He has served as NTSB chairman since 2014 after President Obama nominated him for the position. Hart, who spoke before members of


the National Association for Pupil Trans- portation and National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services on Monday, discussed recent NTSB activities and safety priorities. “Te NTSB investigates accidents in all modes of transportation,” Hart said,


in October. “We are not a regulatory agency, but we find out what causes crashes and we make recommendations to prevent recurrences.” As for late, the agency has focused on


distracted driving and driver fatigue as root causes of crashes nationwide. Both have landed on the NTSB Most Wanted List due their frequency. Te chairman singled out portable


electronic devices because they give drivers more opportunities to turn their attention from the road. “Experience has shown that distraction is a big risk, whether it is texting, hand- held or hands-free,” he said. “No matter your age, no use of a portable electronic device is ever worth a human life.” Hart also touched on the issue of


fatigue, saying that a “fatigued driver is an unsafe driver.” Fatigue applies to all drivers, he


reported, and the consequences can be limited reaction time, judgment and risk assessment. He also emphasized the im- portance of getting a full night’s rest. “Every one of us is susceptible to the


12 THE SHOW REPORTER • NOVEMBER 4–8, 2016


Christopher Hart, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board


National Safety Council convened a panel to discuss how driver assistance systems, such as forward collision warn- ing, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot detection and other technology-based safety enhancements, can prevent or mitigate vehicle crashes and save lives. Te group of government officials, car


manufacturers, researchers, automobile media groups, industry associations and safety advocates explored how to educate and train the public on the use of such technologies and how human factors influence vehicle design. Te NTSB issued its first safety


recommendation on the use of technol- ogy to mitigate crashes in 1995, making numerous vehicle technology recommen- dations during the past two decades. “Human error continues to be the lead-


ing cause of the more than 30,000 traffic deaths every year,” said NTSB Board Member Earl Weener. “It is past time for mass use of these life-saving technologies in order to reach zero crashes.” National Safety Council President and CEO Deborah Hersman, who proced- ed Hart as the NTSB chair, as well as holding a CDL with school bus endorce- ment, added that 100 people die on the road daily because “we have become too complacent.” “Technology can be a solution to old


problems if we understand how to use it safely and to its fullest potential,” she said. According to the NTSB, roughly 7


percent of those 30,000 fatalities are school-age children. In an effort to stem the thousands of people killed on the nation’s roadways annually and to help families prepare for the school year, the agency has conducted a series of demonstrations on school bus safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety and child safety seats. l


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