I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION H. R. 10051 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study on the effect 
of driver-controlled technology in motor vehicles with respect to severe 
traffic injuries and traffic fatalities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 25, 2024 
Mr. MULLIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to conduct a study 
on the effect of driver-controlled technology in motor 
vehicles with respect to severe traffic injuries and traffic 
fatalities, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Driver Technology and 
Pedestrian Safety Act of 2024’’. 
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SEC. 
2. 
DRIVER-CONTROLLED 
TECHNOLOGY 
SAFETY 
STUDY. 
(a) DRIVER-CONTROLLED
TECHNOLOGY
SAFETY 
STUDY AGREEMENT.—Subject to the availability of appro-
priations, not later than 3 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation 
shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National 
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine— 
(1) to conduct a study on the effect of driver- 
controlled technology with respect to severe traffic 
injuries and traffic fatalities, including severe inju-
ries and fatalities of pedestrians, bicyclists, and 
other vulnerable road users; and 
(2) to prepare the recommendations described 
in section 3. 
(b) PERIOD OF TIME TO BE STUDIED.—The Sec-
retary of Transportation shall determine the period of 
time to be studied under subsection (a), which shall be 
a period of time that began not later than 10 years before 
the date on which the Secretary enters into the agreement 
under subsection (a). 
(c) INFORMATION.—The study described in sub-
section (a) shall address the following information: 
(1) The prevalence and characteristics of touch 
screen-based systems. 
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(2) The impact on driver distraction, property 
damage, severe traffic injuries, and traffic fatalities 
as a result of the following: 
(A) Replacing tactile motor vehicle controls 
with touch screen-based systems. 
(B) The characteristics of such systems, 
including brightness and size. 
(C) Driver-controlled technology that is not 
a touch screen-based system. 
(3) The user interface designs of touch screen- 
based systems and other driver-controlled tech-
nology, and the effect of those designs on driver be-
havior. 
(4) A comparison of— 
(A) the extent to which viewing or manipu-
lating a touch screen-based system while driving 
a motor vehicle results in a severe traffic injury 
or a traffic fatality; and 
(B) the extent to which viewing or manipu-
lating a smartphone, other than a smartphone 
that is projecting a user interface to a touch 
screen-based system, while driving a motor vehi-
cle results in a severe traffic injury or a traffic 
fatality. 
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(5) Whether the time of day and other road 
conditions, including traffic, weather, and the num-
ber of commercial motor vehicles on a road, have a 
significant effect on the incidence of severe traffic 
injuries and traffic fatalities, the extent of any ef-
fect, the likely reasons for any effect, whether any 
effect varies between the United States and other 
countries, and any changes to touch screen-based 
systems and other driver-controlled technology that 
may help mitigate any effect. 
(6) Any other information that is relevant to 
the study, which may include a previous study. 
SEC. 3. REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 24 months after the 
date on which the Secretary of Transportation enters into 
an agreement under section 2, the Secretary shall— 
(1) submit to Congress a report that includes 
the findings of the study under section 2; and 
(2) publish the report on the public website of 
the Department of Transportation. 
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not later than 2 months 
after the date on which the Secretary of Transportation 
satisfies the requirements of subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress recommendations that are based 
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on the findings of the study under section 2, including 
recommendations— 
(1) to reduce severe traffic injuries and traffic 
fatalities; and 
(2) to change the Fatality Analysis Reporting 
System, the National Occupant Protection Use Sur-
veys, and the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Cri-
teria of the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin-
istration, or another set of Federal surveys, to col-
lect as much data as practicable with respect to the 
use of a touch screen-based system while driving a 
motor vehicle and the use of a smartphone while 
driving a motor vehicle, given the variation in the 
methods of data collection by States and units of 
local government. 
(c) CATEGORIES.—In submitting the recommenda-
tions described in subsection (b), the Secretary of Trans-
portation— 
(1) may not include a recommendation that 
only restates an existing requirement for a depart-
ment or agency of the Federal Government; and 
(2) shall divide the recommendations into the 
following categories: 
(A) Any recommendations that a depart-
ment or agency of the Federal Government, in-
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cluding the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, may implement under the exist-
ing authority of the department or agency, in-
cluding any authority of the department or 
agency to develop or update guidance or stand-
ards on motor vehicle technology. 
(B) Any recommendations that would re-
quire the enactment of Federal law for a de-
partment or agency of the Federal Government, 
including the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration, to implement. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE.—The term 
‘‘commercial motor vehicle’’ means any of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) A commercial motor vehicle, as that 
term is defined under section 31132 of title 49, 
United States Code. 
(B) A vehicle owned or operated by a 
transportation network company, as that term 
is defined under section 346 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114–328; 10 U.S.C. 113 note). 
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(2) DRIVER-CONTROLLED
TECHNOLOGY.—The 
term ‘‘driver-controlled technology’’— 
(A) means the controls and functions of a 
motor vehicle that are engaged at the option of 
a driver of the motor vehicle; 
(B) includes the functions that are related 
to driving, are not related to the safe operation 
of the motor vehicle, and do not involve the use 
of a system that is required by law; 
(C) includes a touch screen-based system; 
and 
(D) does not include any functions that are 
engaged by default as the motor vehicle is driv-
en, such as automatic braking, cameras, and 
dynamic lighting. 
(3) MOTOR VEHICLE.—The term ‘‘motor vehi-
cle’’ means a passenger motor vehicle, as that term 
is defined under section 32101 of title 49, United 
States Code. 
(4) TACTILE MOTOR VEHICLE CONTROL.—The 
term ‘‘tactile motor vehicle control’’ means a knob, 
a switch, a trackpad, or another physical control, 
that is in a motor vehicle and is not a touch screen. 
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(5) TOUCH SCREEN-BASED SYSTEM.—The term 
‘‘touch screen-based system’’ means a computer 
that— 
(A) is in a motor vehicle; 
(B) controls the functions of the motor ve-
hicle, including the infotainment functions of 
the motor vehicle; 
(C) has a primary user interface that con-
sists of a touch screen and on-screen software 
controls; 
(D) may be able to be manipulated by tac-
tile motor vehicle controls; and 
(E) may be able to display a user interface 
that is projected from a smartphone. 
SEC. 5. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. 
(a) REGULATIONS.—This Act shall not be construed 
to preclude or delay the promulgation of any regulation 
required or authorized by law. 
(b) DEFERENCE.—If a court finds that a term used 
in this Act is ambiguous, the court shall defer to a reason-
able interpretation of the term by the Secretary of Trans-
portation. 
Æ 
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