[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 753 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 753
Expressing the sense of the Senate to reduce traffic fatalities to zero
by 2050.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 21, 2026
Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Smith, Mr.
Van Hollen, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Lujan) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Senate to reduce traffic fatalities to zero
by 2050.
Whereas roadway fatalities kill tens of thousands of people in the United States
each year;
Whereas, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(referred to in this preamble as ``NHTSA''), 39,254 lives were lost in
motor vehicle crashes in 2024, and all of the deaths were preventable;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traffic
crashes are a leading cause of death for people ages 1 to 54 and kill
more than 100 people every day;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, alcohol-impaired driving crashes are a leading
killer on the roadways of the United States, with 11,904 lives lost to
alcohol-impaired driving in 2024;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, 3,208 people died in motor vehicle crashes
involving distracted drivers in 2024;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, 7,080 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in
the United States in 2024, representing 14 percent of all motor vehicle
crash fatalities;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, the number of pedestrian fatalities increased by 78
percent since their lowest point in 2009;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, a total of 1,166 bicyclists were killed in crashes
with motor vehicles in 2023, representing a 57 percent increase in the
last 10 years;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, 6,335 motorcyclists were killed in motor vehicle
crashes in 2023, representing the deadliest year for motorcyclists since
1975;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, in 2023, 41 percent of motor vehicle traffic
fatalities occurred on rural roads, despite only 31 percent of miles
traveled occurring on rural roads;
Whereas, according to the Federal Highway Administration, adequately maintained
retroreflective signs, pavement markings, and roadway lighting improve
nighttime highway visibility and reduce the risk of crashes;
Whereas, according to the Federal Highway Administration, 850 people died in
work zone crashes in 2024;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, seatbelts have saved an estimated 374,276 lives
from 1975 through 2017;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, in 2024, 48 percent of passenger vehicle occupants
who died in a motor vehicle crash were unrestrained;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, 43 percent of crash fatalities initially survived
the impact but later died, highlighting the importance of improving
post-crash care;
Whereas, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, increasing
speed limits over the 25 year period of 1993 to 2017 led to
approximately 36,760 deaths;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, speeding killed 11,775 people in 2023;
Whereas, according to Consumer Reports, existing safety technologies could cut
road fatalities in half if such technologies were made standard on all
vehicles, saving approximately 20,000 lives annually;
Whereas roadway fatalities and injuries rose during the COVID-19 pandemic and
remain a persistent cause of death in the United States;
Whereas, according to the National Safety Council, medically consulted injuries
in motor-vehicle crashes totaled 4,900,000 in 2024;
Whereas, according to the National Safety Council, total motor-vehicle injury
costs were estimated at $559,300,000,000;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, women sustain 46 percent higher injury risk than
men in frontal crashes;
Whereas, according to NHTSA, women sustain 55 percent higher injury risk than
men in rollover crashes;
Whereas advanced vehicle and infrastructure technologies show promise in
eliminating motor vehicles crashes;
Whereas better roadway fatality data collection could help drive better
behavioral safety and infrastructure improvements;
Whereas too many families in the United States have been personally affected by
preventable crashes; and
Whereas a data-driven safe systems approach is proven to be effective at
reducing traffic fatalities and injuries, including through taking into
account all aspects of the transportation environment and not requiring
a single actor to be responsible for traffic safety: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commits to advancing policies that will end roadway
fatalities by 2050;
(2) calls on Congress and the Department of Transportation
to commit to working together to achieve zero roadway
fatalities by the year 2050;
(3) supports efforts to address disparities related to
transportation safety;
(4) calls on the Department of Transportation, and the
agencies within the Department of Transportation, to improve
data gathering and tracking of traffic crashes and other issues
related to transportation safety;
(5) calls on the Department of Transportation, and the
agencies within the Department of Transportation, to commit to
the implementation of proven countermeasures and interventions
to prioritize transportation safety;
(6) recognizes the need for a safe system approach to
transportation in the United States to improve access, safety,
and mobility; and
(7) supports the use of the term ``crash'', instead of
``accident'', when describing traffic incidents and encourages
all agencies of the Federal Government to use this term.
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