Washington -- The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its 2009 "Most Wanted List" of safety improvements and newly added to the list is a recommendation to restrict the use of cell phones by motorcoach drivers.

Another important addition to the list this year was to require electronic on-board recorders for all bus and truck operators.

"Our Most Wanted List, which was created in 1990, was designed to raise the public's awareness and support for transportation safety issues," said NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker in announcing this years list.

"The safety issues on this list are critical to improving transportation safety. When acted upon, these recommendations will reduce accidents and save lives."

In recommending that federal regulatory agencies restrict the use of cellular telephones by motorcoach drivers, the NTSB said research shows that using a cell phone while driving degrades performance, resulting in slower reaction times, slower driving speeds, and increased instances of attention lapses.

Two years ago, the NTSB recommended the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration prohibit cellular telephone use by commercial drivers license holders with a passenger-carrying or school bus endorsement, while driving under the authority of that endorsement, except in emergencies.

So far, the FMCSA hasnt acted on the recommendation, so the NTSB added the recommendation to its most-wanted list.

For more than three decades, the NTSB has advocated the use of onboard recorders for all motor carriers to increase hours-of-service compliance by commercial drivers.

The safety board added the on-board recorder issue to its most wanted list because the FMCSA has proposed a very limited on-board recorder requirement that essentially would mandate recorders only for companies that have shown a propensity for violating hours-of-service rules.

The FMCSA proposal "is not applicable to all operators subject to hours-of-service regulations, does not establish the proper incentives and does not create a level playing field for compliance with the rules," said the NTSB.

Electronic onboard recorders on all buses and trucks also would result in more accurate data collected on accident conditions, the NTSB noted.

Other items remaining on the most-wanted list that would apply to motorcoach operators include preventing medically unqualified drivers from operating commercial vehicles; enhancing protection for motorcoach and school bus passengers, and preventing collisions by using enhanced vehicle safety technology.

Noted Rosenker: "New technologies like anti-collision devices and electronic stability control are already proving their worth in saving lives on our highways."