Roadway Safety Modernization Act of 2025

Overview

• Bill: S.3572 — Roadway Safety Modernization Act of 2025
• Status: Introduced in the Senate (12/18/2025); referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• Purpose: Amend title 23, United States Code to enable grant recipients to enhance highway safety by integrating predictive data analytics, telematics, and other advanced technologies into safety programs and planning. The bill also creates definitions, guidance, and coordination provisions to support the use of these tools in federal highway and freight safety programs.

Main objective

• Modernize roadway safety efforts by incorporating advanced data and technology tools (predictive analytics, telematics, and other validated methodologies) into planning, project selection, evaluation, and performance-based approaches for highway and freight safety.

Key provisions and changes

1) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) amendments

• Adds a new safety data/tools clause to HSIP eligibility:
  • Development, acquisition, or deployment of safety data and systems (predictive analytics, telematics, etc.) can be pursued for highway safety purposes.
• Expands data use for railway-highway grade crossings:
  • Requires consideration of highway/train traffic characteristics, licensing, and vehicle data.
  • Encourages use of predictive analytics, telematics, and validated tools for risk modeling and safety planning where practicable.
• Adds a new emphasis in risk modeling and safety planning:
  • Safety planning may incorporate predictive analytics and related tools to improve risk identification and mitigation.

2) National Highway Freight Program amendments

• Incorporates safety data tools into freight safety and performance-based planning:
  • Adds a new eligible activity: development, acquisition, or deployment of safety data tools (predictive analytics, telematics, etc.) to support freight safety and performance-based planning under sections 134 and 135.
• Explicitly recognizes use of advanced tools in freight systems operations standards.

3) Intelligent Freight Transportation Systems (IFTS)

• Establishes a new consideration for IFTS standards:
  • The Secretary must determine within one year post-enactment whether operating standards for intelligent freight transportation systems are needed, and report to Congress if such standards are warranted.

4) Definitions

• Introduces key definitions:
  • Intelligent Freight Transportation System: describes innovative or intelligent tech systems that enhance freight movement, including proximity to Federal-aid rights of way or connection to land ports of entry, and systems that improve efficiency, security, or safety of freight on Federal-aid highways.
  • Safety Data: aligned with the definition in section 148(a).
  • National Priority Safety Programs: reoriented to encourage integrating predictive analytics, telematics, and validated tools into state safety data systems and safety data governance.

5) Performance and evaluation enhancements

• Adds requirements to evaluate safety project effectiveness:
  • Assess how well safety projects reduce crashes, injuries, or fatalities.
  • Compare benefits of different safety strategies to identify those with the greatest safety impact, considering location characteristics and risk factors.

6) National Priority Safety Programs enhancements

• Encourages deployment of predictive analytics and telematics within safety data systems to support performance-based planning (Sections 134 and 135).

7) Guidance and standards

• Department of Transportation to issue guidance within one year after enactment on:
  • Data anonymization, data security, and protection of personally identifiable information.
  • Transparency and accountability in using predictive analytics and related tools.
  • Grounding safety data/tools in validated methodologies (actuarial validation, behavioral risk analysis, etc.) to ensure reliability.

8) Interagency coordination and consultation

• Requires intra-Department coordination across FHWA, NHTSA, FMCSA, FRA, and other relevant offices for predictive safety tools.
• Encourages consultation with Energy, Commerce, and other agencies to promote interoperability and effective use of predictive analytics and telematics across federal programs.

Who is affected

• State transportation departments and agencies administering HSIP and freight programs.
• Federal agencies involved in highway and freight safety (FHWA, NHTSA, FMCSA, FRA, OST-R, and ITS Joint Program Office).
• Freight operators and freight movement networks that could benefit from intelligent freight transportation system standards and predictive analytics tools.
• Data and technology providers supplying predictive analytics, telematics, and related safety data tools.
• General public, through potential improvements in roadway safety performance and data-driven planning.

Timelines and procedural notes

• Effective date: Not specified in the text provided; act would become law upon passage and enactment.
• Guidance issuance: Secretary of Transportation to issue guidance on data privacy, transparency, and validated methodologies within one year of enactment.
• IFTS standards review: Secretary must determine the need for operating standards within one year and, if needed, report to Congress.

Potential impact

• Increased use of data-driven safety strategies in highway and freight programs.
• Enhanced ability to identify high-risk locations and tailor interventions using predictive analytics and telematics.
• Greater emphasis on evaluating the effectiveness of safety investments and comparing interventions to maximize safety benefits.
• Expanded interoperability and coordination across federal agencies and with other sectors (Energy, Commerce) to support standardized use of advanced safety tools.