Senators Introduce Legislation to Improve Roadside Safety
Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Deb Fischer (R-NE.) introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at improving highway safety with respect to vehicle roadside crashes and work zones.
The “Preventing Roadside and Work Zone Deaths Act of 2026” would require the U.S. Department of Transportation in conjunction with other relevant agencies to create two working groups to collect and publish detailed data on disabled roadside vehicle crashes and work zone crashes and to develop a strategic plan to stop these incidents and improve data sharing.
The Senate legislation largely mirrors the “Preventing Roadside and Work Zone Deaths Act,” introduced in the House by Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA), Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV), Congressman Rudy Yakym (R-IN), and Congressman Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (R-PA).
NATSO, the Work Zone Safety Coalition, and other industry allies are advocating for this legislation to be incorporated into the next surface transportation reauthorization. Current surface transportation law is set to expire in 2026; and lawmakers already are collecting stakeholder input with a goal of introducing legislative text later this year.
NATSO also is advocating for truck stop and travel center representation on these working groups. These working groups represent a significant opportunity for NATSO’s members to provide insight into how best to improve safety for repair technicians who service commercial vehicles along the Interstate Highways.
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