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May 21, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextSENATE RESOLUTION 753—EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE TO REDUCE
TRAFFIC FATALITIES TO ZERO BY 2050
Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Smith, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Lujan) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation:
S. Res. 753
Whereas roadway fatalities kill tens of thousands of people
in the United States each year;
Whereas, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (referred to in this preamble as “NHTSA”),
39,254 lives were lost in motor vehicle crashes in 2024, and
all of the deaths were preventable;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, traffic crashes are a leading cause of death for
people ages 1 to 54 and kill more than 100 people every day;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, alcohol-impaired driving
crashes are a leading killer on the roadways of the United
States, with 11,904 lives lost to alcohol-impaired driving in
2024;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, 3,208 people died in motor
vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in 2024;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, 7,080 pedestrians were killed
in traffic crashes in the United States in 2024, representing
14 percent of all motor vehicle crash fatalities;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, the number of pedestrian
fatalities increased by 78 percent since their lowest point
in 2009;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, a total of 1,166 bicyclists
were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2023,
representing a 57 percent increase in the last 10 years;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, 6,335 motorcyclists were
killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2023, representing the
deadliest year for motorcyclists since 1975;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, in 2023, 41 percent of motor
vehicle traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads, despite
only 31 percent of miles traveled occurring on rural roads;
Whereas, according to the Federal Highway Administration,
adequately maintained retroreflective signs, pavement
markings, and roadway lighting improve nighttime highway
visibility and reduce the risk of crashes;
Whereas, according to the Federal Highway Administration,
850 people died in work zone crashes in 2024;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, seatbelts have saved an
estimated 374,276 lives from 1975 through 2017;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, in 2024, 48 percent of
passenger vehicle occupants who died in a motor vehicle crash
were unrestrained;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, 43 percent of crash fatalities
initially survived the impact but later died, highlighting
the importance of improving post-crash care;
Whereas, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety, increasing speed limits over the 25 year period of
1993 to 2017 led to approximately 36,760 deaths;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, speeding killed 11,775 people
in 2023;
Whereas, according to Consumer Reports, existing safety
technologies could cut road fatalities in half if such
technologies were made standard on all vehicles, saving
approximately 20,000 lives annually;
Whereas roadway fatalities and injuries rose during the
COVID-19 pandemic and remain a persistent cause of death in
the United States;
Whereas, according to the National Safety Council,
medically consulted injuries in motor-vehicle crashes totaled
4,900,000 in 2024;
Whereas, according to the National Safety Council, total
motor-vehicle injury costs were estimated at
$559,300,000,000;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, women sustain 46 percent
higher injury risk than men in frontal crashes;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, women sustain 55 percent
higher injury risk than men in rollover crashes;
Whereas advanced vehicle and infrastructure technologies
show promise in eliminating motor vehicles crashes;
Whereas better roadway fatality data collection could help
drive better behavioral safety and infrastructure
improvements;
Whereas too many families in the United States have been
personally affected by preventable crashes; and
Whereas a data-driven safe systems approach is proven to be
effective at reducing traffic fatalities and injuries,
including through taking into account all aspects of the
transportation environment and not requiring a single actor
to be responsible for traffic safety: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) commits to advancing policies that will end roadway
fatalities by 2050;
(2) calls on Congress and the Department of Transportation
to commit to working together to achieve zero roadway
fatalities by the year 2050;
(3) supports efforts to address disparities related to
transportation safety;
(4) calls on the Department of Transportation, and the
agencies within the Department of Transportation, to improve
data gathering and tracking of traffic crashes and other
issues related to transportation safety;
(5) calls on the Department of Transportation, and the
agencies within the Department of Transportation, to commit
to the implementation of proven countermeasures and
interventions to prioritize transportation safety;
(6) recognizes the need for a safe system approach to
transportation in the United States to improve access,
safety, and mobility; and
(7) supports the use of the term “crash”, instead of
“accident”, when describing traffic incidents and
encourages all agencies of the Federal Government to use this
term.