For over 60 years, the FBI has published its famous list of the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives." The list has been a success, putting pressure on those on the list, and resulting in apprehending or locating 93.7 percent of the 494 dangerous criminals that have been listed. The list is such a success that another federal agency has gotten into the "Most Wanted" list game-the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The NTSB targets dangerous highway activities and policies instead of dangerous criminals. Because the NTSB is an independent federal agency (not part of the Department of Transportation), it does not have the power to make rules-only to investigate accidents and make recommendations to state and federal lawmakers about what safety steps should be taken to protect the traveling public.
Some of the highway issues on the NTSB's Most Wanted List that most affect Floridians include:
- Prohibiting commercial driver's license holders who carry passengers from using cell phones (prohibiting truck driver texting while driving). The NTSB would like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to implement this rule nationwide.
- Prohibiting young drivers (under 21) from using cell phones while driving. Florida is one of 24 states that do not currently restrict cell phone use by young drivers.
- Requiring booster seats for young children who have outgrown infant car seats but are not yet big enough to be adequately restrained by an adult seat belt. Florida is one of only three states that does not yet have this state law.
- Requiring all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet that would help protect them in the event of a motorcycle accident and one that meets Department of Transportation safety standards. Currently Florida is one of 27 states with only a "partial" helmet law that requires a helmet unless the rider is over 21 and has at least $10,000 in medical insurance.
The NTSB Most Wanted List seems to have been effective. In 2009, four states, including Florida, enacted seat belt laws in accordance with the NTSB's recommendation for seat belt laws with primary enforcement (meaning that a law enforcement officer can pull a motorist over for simply not wearing a seat belt, as opposed to secondary enforcement, which requires some other reason to be pulled over). And while Florida has yet to mandate car booster seats, such bills have been introduced in the legislature in 2009 and 2010.
