WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Modern Analytics for Roadway Safety (MARS) Coalition released the following statement on the bipartisan draft surface transportation reauthorization legislation introduced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-Wash) that would modernize America’s approach to roadway safety.
“For too long, America’s roadway safety strategy has followed a reactive model: we wait for crashes to happen, study what went wrong, and then decide whether to act. That ‘crash‑first, fix‑later’ approach costs precious lives. The BUILD America 250 Act represents a paradigm shift away from that outdated approach,” said MARS executive director Andrew Rogers. “By expanding the use of telematics, predictive analytics, and other modern tools that identify risk before tragedy strikes, this bill makes preventative safety a core expectation of federal transportation programs instead of an afterthought. The MARS Coalition commends Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen for their bipartisan leadership, and we look forward to working together to help America build safer, smarter roads for all.”
This week, MARS sent a letter to committee leadership highlighting key provisions in the BUILD America 250 Act that would advance a more proactive approach to roadway safety, including provisions that would:
About Modern Analytics for Roadway Safety (MARS) Coalition
Modern Analytics for Roadway Safety (MARS) is a coalition of industry leaders, safety organizations, and technology innovators working to prevent crashes before they occur. By advancing the use of telematics, artificial intelligence, and predictive analytics, MARS supports policies that improve roadway design, curb dangerous driving behavior, and save lives.
The text of the MARS Coalition letter to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee is copied below. Please contact marspress@narrativestrategies.com for the PDF.
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May 19, 2026
The Honorable Sam Graves
Chairman
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Rick Larsen
Ranking Member
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
RE: The BUILD America 250 Act & A New Paradigm for America’s Roadway Safety
Dear Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen:
The Modern Analytics for Roadway Safety (MARS) Coalition, a coalition of industry leaders, safety organizations, and technology innovators, commends the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for producing a bipartisan, multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that would advance a long overdue paradigm shift in America’s road safety strategy.
For decades, federal transportation programs have relied on historical crash data to identify safety risks and guide investments only after tragedies occur. This reactive approach has failed to deliver the results that Americans deserve, as nearly 40,000 people lose their lives on our nation’s roads each year.
The BUILD America 250 Act takes meaningful steps to advance modern, data-driven safety strategies. Key provisions from the Roadway Safety Modernization Act ensure state and local agencies have the flexibility, funding, and resources to leverage proven tools, such as telematics, AI, and predictive analytics, that effectively identify road risks before injuries or fatalities occur. MARS strongly supports provisions that:
Establish a new paradigm for America’s road safety strategy
The legislation requires states to incorporate telematics, predictive analytics, and other validated data‑driven tools into Strategic Highway Safety Plans and Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) evaluations. By integrating these tools into project planning and evaluation, the BUILD America 250 Act makes prevention a baseline expectation of federal transportation programs, shifting away from America’s outdated “crash first, fix later” road safety approach.
Expand access to life-saving data and planning tools
The legislation explicitly authorizes the use of these technologies, providing long‑needed legal clarity and funding flexibility across highway safety, freight, congestion, and formula grants. These updates will ensure state and local agencies can invest with confidence in real‑time data systems, risk modeling, and smarter infrastructure using existing federal resources.
Empower states to make smarter, data-driven decisions
The legislation updates the Highway Safety Improvement Program to encourage the use of predictive tools alongside traditional crash data when evaluating projects and developing safety plans. This pivotal update will make forward‑looking, data‑driven analysis a core component of safety planning, not an optional add‑on. The legislation reinforces this approach by allowing highway safety funds to modernize state data systems and by establishing a new federal center focused on deploying data‑driven safety strategies nationwide.
Establish strong privacy protections to ensure accountability and trust
The BUILD America 250 Act recognizes the need for responsible implementation that pairs innovation with transparency and public trust. Privacy protections in Section 6010 and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study directed under Section 4016 will help ensure that modern analytics are deployed transparently and accountably, strengthening public confidence while expanding technical capability.
Together, these provisions make smarter data central to how federal transportation investments are planned and delivered nationwide. The MARS Coalition appreciates the Committee’s leadership and bipartisan approach, and we look forward to working with you and your colleagues to advance these policies through Congress.
We welcome the opportunity to serve as a resource as this legislation moves forward.
Sincerely,
Andrew Rogers
Executive Director
MARS Coalition
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