The National Transportation Safety Board is trying a new tactic–patience–in its bid to have regulators respond to its recommendations. The board will announce its Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements at a press conference in Washington Monday. But instead of being replaced by another list a year from now, this one will languish for two years since it’s rare for any of the recommendations to be acted upon in 12 months or less. “The change allows more time for the transportation industry, safety advocates, regulatory agencies and individuals to effect the changes necessary to address the 10 issues on the Most Wanted List,” the NTSB said in a news release.
The release of the list is a chance for the impartial and apolitical NTSB to give a few digs at the regulators and companies in the transportation industry for their notorious foot dragging on safety issues that inevitably cost money. A few general aviation topics generally make the list and NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said this one won’t disappoint. “I can tell you that there will be items of interest to those covering general aviation,” he said in an email invitation to the news conference.
