AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 54 and Title 55, relative to road safety.
SB0446 directs the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) to study road safety and prepare a report with recommendations on improving safety for all users of public highways, roads, and streets. The study must address a broad range of roadway users and safety issues, including teen drivers, older drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, transit users, and other public-road users.
The bill requires TACIR to identify the unique safety problems faced by different user groups, recommend ways to encourage safer behavior, and examine new designs and technologies that could improve road safety. It also requires state departments and agencies to assist TACIR with the study, and it sets a reporting deadline of January 15, 2026, for submission to the relevant House and Senate transportation committee chairs and the legislative librarian.
The bill does not directly change traffic or transportation statutes; instead, it creates a legislative study and reporting requirement within TACIR under Titles 4, 54, and 55. Its practical effect is to generate policy recommendations, including possible future legislation, that could influence Tennessee road-safety laws and transportation planning. The study is intended to be completed using TACIR’s existing resources, so it does not appear to create a new ongoing appropriation or program.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be a noncontroversial, informational proposal focused on gathering data and recommendations rather than imposing immediate regulatory changes. The broad framing around safety for multiple road users suggests a generally constructive and preventive policy approach. No opposing viewpoints are documented in the provided context.
No specific points of contention are reflected in the available transcripts or voting history because none were provided. Potential areas of debate, if the bill were discussed, could include the scope of the study, whether TACIR can complete it with existing resources, and how broadly the report should address issues affecting drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and transit users. However, no actual disagreement is shown in the record supplied here.