Sponsors (5)
The bill aims to reduce distracted-driving harms by funding an independent study, improving data, and clarifying regulatory coverage—trading off near-term costs, potential delays in safety action, and increased agency discretion that may raise compliance burdens for some drivers and businesses.
Drivers, passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists: could see fewer severe injuries and fatalities if the National Academies study and follow-on agency actions reduce touchscreen and smartphone distraction in vehicles.
Federal, state, and local policymakers and safety agencies: gain independent study findings and improved crash/occupant data that enable evidence-based regulation, clearer enforcement, and better-targeted safety interventions.
Drivers and vehicle/technology makers: get clearer statutory definitions about which in-vehicle systems are regulated, reducing legal uncertainty and helping manufacturers and vendors design products to specific rules.
Vehicle buyers, fleet owners, and manufacturers: could face higher manufacturing, repair, retrofit or compliance costs if the study leads to mandated design changes or tighter regulation of touchscreens and in‑vehicle interfaces.
Drivers, passengers, and other road users: safety benefits may be delayed because commissioning an independent study and slow adoption of recommendations (especially those requiring new law) can postpone mitigation of known touchscreen distraction risks.
Ride‑hailing/TNC drivers and small businesses: expanding the definition of 'commercial motor vehicle' to include TNC-owned vehicles may impose new commercial regulations and additional compliance costs on drivers and operators.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Requires DOT to commission a National Academies study on how in‑vehicle driver-controlled technology (especially touchscreens) affects severe injuries and fatalities and to deliver findings and categorized recommendations to Congress.
Official title: To direct the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on the effect of driver-controlled technology in motor vehicles with respect to severe traffic injuries and traffic fatalities, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 13, 2025 by Kevin Mullin · Last progress May 13, 2025
Requires the Secretary of Transportation to contract with the National Academies to study how driver-controlled technologies—especially in‑vehicle touchscreens and other optional systems—affect severe traffic injuries and fatalities for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users. The study must use at least a 10-year lookback, examine device characteristics, driver behavior, and road/lighting/traffic conditions, and produce a public report and specific recommendations for regulatory and legislative actions within set deadlines. Directs DOT to publish the National Academies findings within 24 months of the agreement and to deliver to Congress, within two months after publication, categorized recommendations (those implementable under current authority and those needing new federal law). The law also defines key terms and clarifies that it does not block other regulatory actions or restrain agency interpretation of ambiguous terms.