Preventing Roadside and Work Zone Deaths Act of 2026
- Sponsor
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
- Committees
- Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Feb 12, 2026
Bottom line
This bill aims to enhance road safety by broadening the focus of federal safety programs, improving data collection, and fostering collaborative efforts to address crashes involving disabled vehicles and incidents in work zones.
What it actually does
This bill expands the scope of federal highway safety programs to explicitly include occupants of and pedestrians associated with disabled vehicles. It mandates more detailed data collection on roadside and work zone deaths and establishes two new working groups to analyze crash data and propose solutions for disabled vehicle incidents and work zone safety. Additionally, it requires an annual report on the use and effectiveness of work zone safety contingency funds.
Proponents argue
Supporters argue that this bill addresses a critical and often overlooked aspect of road safety by explicitly including disabled vehicle occupants and associated pedestrians in federal safety programs. They contend that improved data collection and the establishment of dedicated working groups will lead to more targeted and effective strategies to reduce preventable roadside and work zone fatalities and injuries, ultimately saving lives and improving safety for all road users and workers.
Opponents contend
Critics might argue that while the intent is laudable, the bill adds layers of bureaucracy through new working groups without necessarily guaranteeing immediate, tangible safety improvements. They could also contend that existing programs already have the flexibility to address these issues, and that creating new specific mandates might divert resources or attention from other pressing safety concerns, or that the data collection efforts might be redundant with ongoing initiatives.
The bill is very concise and can be read quickly, allowing ample time for stakeholders to understand its provisions.
Section 2(a)
Inclusion of Disabled Vehicle Occupants in Highway Safety Improvement Program
This provision amends Title 23, United States Code, Section 148(c)(2) to explicitly include "occupants of and pedestrians associated with disabled vehicles" in the categories considered for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). This means federal funds for highway safety improvements can now be specifically directed towards reducing crashes involving people with disabled vehicles on the roadside, alongside pedestrians and bicyclists.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue this closes a critical gap in federal highway safety policy, acknowledging the unique vulnerability of individuals stranded on roadsides. Explicit inclusion ensures dedicated resources and attention to a significant cause of preventable injuries and fatalities.
Critics contend
No specific opposition is typically raised against expanding safety program eligibility to vulnerable groups, though some might argue that existing broad categories already allowed for such considerations, making the explicit amendment potentially redundant or overly prescriptive.
Tradeoffs
The primary tension is ensuring that by explicitly adding this group, resources are not unduly diverted from other critical safety areas, though the overall goal is to enhance comprehensive safety.
Section 2(b)
Specific Data Collection for Roadside and Work Zone Deaths
This section amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to require that injury health data collection specifically includes "roadside deaths and work zone deaths." This aims to improve the granularity and focus of data related to these specific types of incidents, which are often grouped into broader categories.
Section 2(c)
Broadening Public Awareness for "Move Over" Laws
This provision amends the IIJA to expand the scope of public awareness reviews for "Move Over or Slow Down" laws. It adds "or motorist, disabled vehicle, worker, vehicle, or machinery in a work zone" after "authorized emergency vehicle," meaning public awareness campaigns should now explicitly cover the need to move over or slow down for a wider range of roadside and work zone situations, not just emergency vehicles.
Section 2(d)
Establishment of Disabled Vehicle Crash Working Group
This section mandates the Secretary of Transportation, with OSHA and other agencies, to convene a working group focused on disabled roadside vehicle crashes. The group will include industry, non-government entities, high-risk communities, truckers, traffic incident responders, first responders, and other stakeholders. Its duties include collecting, analyzing, and publishing detailed data, developing a strategic plan for solutions, improving data sharing with NHTSA (including Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria adoption), and providing annual updates.
Section 2(e)
Establishment of Work Zone Crash Working Group
Similar to the disabled vehicle group, this section directs the Secretary of Transportation, with OSHA and the Federal Highway Administration, to convene a working group for work zone crashes. This group will include contractors, pavers, engineers, construction labor unions, traffic safety professionals, and state transportation officials. Its duties mirror those of the other group: data collection and analysis, strategic plan development, improved data sharing with NHTSA (including Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria adoption), and annual updates.
Section 2(f)
Annual Report on Work Zone Safety Contingency Funds
This section requires the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration to submit an annual report to Congress on the use and effectiveness of work zone safety contingency funds (described in 23 U.S.C. 120(c)(3)(B)(vi)). The report must detail which states used the funds, how much funding was dedicated, and provide recommendations for improving their nationwide use.