Roadway Safety Modernization Act of 2025
The Roadway Safety Modernization Act of 2025 would amend several provisions of title 23 of the U.S. Code to explicitly allow and encourage the use of predictive analytics, telematics, and other validated data tools in federal highway safety and freight safety programs. It adds these technologies as eligible uses under the Highway Safety Improvement Program, the National Highway Freight Program, and National Priority Safety Programs, with the stated goal of identifying high-risk roadway segments, evaluating crash causes, improving risk modeling, and supporting performance-based transportation planning.
The bill also directs the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue guidance within one year on data anonymization, cybersecurity, privacy protection, transparency, accountability, and the use of validated methodologies for safety analytics. In addition, it requires coordination across DOT operating administrations and consultation with other federal agencies to improve interoperability and the effective use of predictive safety tools across federal programs. It further asks the Federal Highway Administration to determine whether operating standards are needed for intelligent freight transportation systems and to report to Congress if so.
If enacted, the bill would expand the scope of federally supported highway and freight safety activities by making advanced data systems and analytics expressly eligible for grant-funded safety work. It would amend sections 148, 167, and 405 of title 23, United States Code, and would add new definitions and planning considerations related to intelligent freight transportation systems and safety data. The bill would also create new administrative duties for the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, particularly around guidance, coordination, and possible standards development.
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to have a generally supportive, modernization-oriented framing. Its bipartisan introduction by Senators Boozman, Padilla, and Hyde-Smith suggests cross-party interest in using technology to improve roadway safety and freight efficiency. No committee transcript or vote data is available, so there is no recorded opposition or amendment debate in the provided materials.
The main potential points of contention are likely to involve privacy, data security, and the reliability of predictive tools. The bill anticipates these concerns by requiring guidance on anonymizing data, protecting personally identifiable information, and ensuring transparency and accountability. Another possible issue is whether predictive analytics and telematics are sufficiently validated to justify their use in public safety planning, which the bill addresses by emphasizing actuarial validation, behavioral risk analysis, and other proven risk indicators. Freight industry stakeholders and transportation agencies may also differ on whether new standards for intelligent freight transportation systems are necessary or how broadly such systems should be defined.