H.Res. 1316

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1316 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1316

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives to reduce traffic 
fatalities to zero by 2050.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 21, 2026

Ms. Schakowsky (for herself, Ms. Titus, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Norton, Ms. 
Meng, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Ms. Stansbury, Mr. Cohen, 
Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, and Ms. Jayapal) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 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 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 and 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 the 25 year period, from 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 driver 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 House of Representatives--
(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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