Roadway Safety Modernization Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6874
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Transportation and Public Works
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-02: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-04T09:06:36Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Roadway Safety Modernization Act of 2025 aims to update federal highway safety programs by allowing the use of advanced technologies, such as predictive data analytics (tools that forecast risks based on patterns) and telematics (vehicle tracking systems), to improve roadway safety and planning. It expands grant eligibility to include these tools, promoting proactive risk identification and data-driven decisions to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
Key Provisions
- Amendments to Highway Safety Improvement Program (Section 148 of Title 23, U.S. Code):
- Adds development, acquisition, or deployment of safety data systems, including predictive analytics and telematics, as eligible projects.
- Expands data collection requirements to include predictive tools for risk modeling, especially for railway-highway crossings.
- Requires strategic highway safety plans to incorporate these tools and use crash data for evaluations.
- Mandates assessing project effectiveness in reducing crashes and comparing safety strategies based on location and risk factors.
- Amendments to National Highway Freight Program (Section 167):
- Includes safety data tools like predictive analytics in eligible freight network investments.
- Requires the Federal Highway Administrator to evaluate the need for operating standards for "intelligent freight transportation systems" (advanced tech for freight efficiency, security, and safety, such as dedicated lanes or communication systems) within one year and report to Congress if needed.
- Defines key terms, including intelligent freight systems and safety data.
- Amendments to National Priority Safety Programs (Section 405(c)):
- Encourages states to integrate predictive analytics and telematics into their safety data systems for grant funding.
- Adds deployment of these tools to identify high-risk road segments, analyze crash causes, and support performance-based planning as a grant criterion.
- Guidance and Coordination Requirements:
- The Secretary of Transportation must issue guidance within one year on best practices for anonymizing (removing personal identifiers from) safety data, securing it, protecting privacy, ensuring transparency in tool use, and validating methodologies (e.g., using proven risk analysis methods like actuarial validation, which assesses risks statistically).
- Requires internal coordination within the Department of Transportation (DOT) across agencies like the Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- Mandates consultation with other federal leaders, such as the Secretaries of Energy and Commerce, to promote interoperability (compatibility) of tools across programs.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Expands eligible uses of federal grants under existing programs (e.g., Highway Safety Improvement, Freight, and Priority Safety) to explicitly include advanced predictive and telematics technologies, which were not previously detailed.
- Introduces new requirements for data collection, planning, and evaluation that prioritize proactive, technology-based approaches over reactive measures.
- Adds definitions for emerging terms like "intelligent freight transportation system" and mandates a review process for standards, filling gaps in current freight safety regulations.
- Shifts emphasis from historical crash data to forward-looking predictive modeling, while adding privacy and validation safeguards not previously emphasized.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: DOT agencies will need to coordinate more closely and develop new guidance, potentially increasing administrative workload but enabling more efficient safety investments. States receiving grants may see streamlined planning but must adopt new technologies.
- On Citizens: Could lead to safer roads through better risk prediction, reducing accidents for drivers, pedestrians, and freight operators. Enhanced freight safety may improve supply chain reliability, indirectly benefiting the economy.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though improved U.S. freight systems near land ports of entry could enhance cross-border trade efficiency with neighboring countries like Canada and Mexico.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- State and Local Transportation Departments: Primary recipients of grants; must integrate new tools into safety plans to qualify for funding.
- Freight and Trucking Industries: Benefit from safety enhancements in freight programs, including intelligent systems for secure and efficient operations.
- Federal Agencies (e.g., DOT Components): Responsible for implementation, guidance, and coordination.
- Citizens and Road Users: Gain from reduced highway risks; privacy protections address potential concerns over data collection from vehicles.
- Technology Providers: Opportunities to develop and deploy analytics and telematics tools compliant with federal standards.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens data privacy by requiring anonymization and security guidance, aligning with broader federal data protection trends (e.g., under laws like the Privacy Act). Ensures tools are "validated" to avoid unreliable implementations, potentially reducing litigation over ineffective safety measures.
- Constitutional: No direct challenges; supports public safety under the government's commerce clause authority over highways. Privacy provisions mitigate Fourth Amendment concerns related to data collection.
- Political: Encourages bipartisan support for infrastructure modernization, as it builds on existing programs without new funding mandates. May spark debates on data privacy versus safety benefits, influencing future tech-policy discussions in transportation.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (5)
Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Obernolte, Jay [R-CA-23], Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24], Rep. Womack, Steve [R-AR-3], Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4]
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-02: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 2025-12-18: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2025-12-18: Introduced in House
- 2025-12-18: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Roadway Safety Modernization Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-18 — PDF (9 pages)