HR 3360119th CongressIntroduced

Driver Technology and Pedestrian Safety Act of 2025

Introduced: May 13, 2025

InfrastructureTechnology & Innovation

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Driver Technology and Pedestrian Safety Act of 2025 directs the Secretary of Transportation to partner with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study how driver-controlled technology—especially touch screen-based systems and other driver-entered controls—affects severe injuries and fatalities, including injuries to pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users. The study must cover a period beginning up to 10 years before the agreement and examine factors such as the prevalence and design of touch-screen interfaces, how these interfaces influence driver distraction and crash outcomes, comparison with smartphone use while driving, and how road conditions and time of day may alter risk. Within 24 months of entering into the study agreement, the Secretary must report findings to Congress and publish them on the DOT website, and within about two additional months provide categorized recommendations. Recommendations may propose actions the federal government can take under existing authority (such as guidance or standards) or require new federal law. The bill also defines key terms (like touch screen-based systems and driver-controlled technology) and clarifies that the act is not intended to preclude other regulations.

Key Points

1Study mandate with NAS: The Secretary must lease an agreement with the National Academies to conduct a comprehensive study on how driver-controlled technology affects severe injuries and fatalities, including vulnerable road users.
2Scope and time frame: The study must analyze a period beginning up to 10 years before the agreement and cover touch screen-based systems, tactile controls, and other driver-controlled technologies, plus design features (brightness, size, UI) and their safety implications.
3Information to be examined: Prevalence of touch screen systems; impact on driver distraction and crash outcomes; comparisons between touch-screen use while driving and smartphone use (with attention to situations where a smartphone’s UI is projected to a touch screen system); influence of time of day, traffic, weather, and commercial vehicle presence; and any other relevant data (including prior studies).
4Reporting and recommendations: A findings report to Congress and publication on DOT’s website within 24 months of the agreement, followed by categorized recommendations (non-restrictive vs. requiring new federal law) within about two months. Recommendations must distinguish actions feasible under existing authority from those needing new legislation.
5Definitions and scope: Clear definitions for commercial motor vehicles, driver-controlled technology, tactile controls, motor vehicles, and touch screen-based systems; emphasis that the act excludes default safety features (like automatic braking) from being considered driver-controlled technology.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Drivers and vehicle manufacturers: The study focuses on how driver-controlled tech, especially touch screens and UI design, affects driver attention, behavior, and crash risk, which could influence future guidance, standards, or regulation.Secondary group/area affected- Pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users: The study explicitly includes safety outcomes for non-occupant road users, potentially guiding policies intended to reduce injuries to these groups.Additional impacts- Federal data collection and regulatory framework: Depending on findings, the act envisions updates to data collection systems (FARS, NOPUS, MMUCC, or other surveys) to better capture data on touch-screen use and smartphone use while driving, which could influence how crashes are counted and analyzed.- Legislative and regulatory pathway: The recommendations are split into actions federal agencies can take under current authority (guidance, standards) and actions that would require new federal law, potentially shaping future legislation or regulatory actions.The act is an authorizing study and reporting measure, not immediate regulatory requirements. It prioritizes evidence gathering to inform future policy.It covers both general passenger motor vehicles and certain commercial contexts, including vehicles operated by transportation network companies, per the defined terms.The term “driver-controlled technology” includes touch screen-based systems and other controls engaged at the driver’s option, but excludes features that engage automatically or by default (e.g., automatic braking, cameras, dynamic lighting). The definition distinguishes between systems that are user-activated vs. automatic safety systems.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 3, 2025