Preventing Roadside and Work Zone Deaths Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would expand protections and data collection for roadside and work zone crashes. It would create two sector-specific working groups and widen public messaging and reporting to better track and prevent roadside and work zone deaths.
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- Families and road users: Would explicitly add pedestrians and occupants of disabled vehicles to the Highway Safety Improvement Program's scope so safety efforts target people stranded at the roadside as well as nearby pedestrians.
- Workers and first responders: Would convene two working groups made up of contractors, construction labor, first responders, insurers, manufacturers, and safety experts to collect detailed crash data and publish strategic plans to reduce fatal and nonfatal injuries.
- States and agencies: Would expand injury data to include roadside and work zone fatalities, promote local adoption of the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria, improve data sharing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and require an annual Federal Highway Administration report on States' use of work zone contingency funds.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Disabled-vehicle crash working group
This bill would require the Secretary of Transportation and OSHA to convene a Disabled Vehicle Crash Working Group with states, industry, first responders, insurers, and public-health experts. If enacted, the group would collect and publish detailed crash data, promote data sharing with NHTSA and local adoption of MMUCC, and publish a strategic plan plus annual updates on interventions and results. The bill does not specify an appropriation.
More highway safety for disabled vehicles
This bill would add “occupants of and pedestrians associated with disabled vehicles” to the groups the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program must consider. If enacted, State HSIP planning and project choices would need to explicitly account for risks to people in or near disabled vehicles. The change is a statutory clarification and does not itself provide money.
Work zone crash working group
This bill would require the Secretary of Transportation, OSHA, and FHWA to convene a Work Zone Crash Working Group with contractors, unions, state DOTs, and safety experts. If enacted, the group would collect and publish detailed work zone crash data, promote better use of work zone safety contingency funds, encourage data sharing with NHTSA and MMUCC adoption, and publish a strategic plan and annual progress reports. The bill does not identify specific funding.
Broaden Move Over public messaging
This bill would broaden federal Move Over and Slow Down public awareness language to cover motorists near disabled vehicles and workers or machinery in work zones. If enacted, federal outreach would explicitly include motorists, disabled vehicles, work zone workers, and equipment. The change clarifies who public-safety campaigns should target and does not itself appropriate funds.
Include roadside and work zone deaths
This bill would require federal IIJA injury data collections to explicitly include roadside deaths and work zone deaths. If enacted, NHTSA and other users of these datasets would see roadside and work zone fatalities counted and reported as distinct elements. The change does not itself create new spending.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE]
NE • R
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov