Governors Highway Safety Association
The States' Voice on Highway Safety

Transportation Reauthorization Tenets

Unleashing states to drive roadway safety innovation will save lives.

The Governors Highway Safety Association’s (GHSA) Executive Board has approved a set of three core traffic safety principles that should guide development of the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill, which Congressional lawmakers are beginning to draft ahead of the September 2026 expiration of current highway programs.

Traffic deaths fell in 2023 and 2024 after a pandemic-fueled surge. The three tenets are centered on giving State and Territorial Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs) the resources they need to continue to drive down roadway fatalities through data-based and outcome-focused innovation.

Strengthen Roadway Safety Through Strategic Investment

Sustained progress in highway safety requires strong support for behavioral programs, cutting-edge safety technologies and actionable research.

Empowering states to allocate resources toward these proven strategies will help reduce fatalities and improve road safety nationwide.

Flags along road

Modernize and Streamline Grant Program Administration

Highways aerial

Improving the Highway Safety Grant Program requires reducing administrative complexity and eliminating redundant or outdated federal regulations that hinder effective program administration.

By simplifying grant structures and streamlining reporting and application processes, states can dedicate more resources to impactful safety initiatives rather than excessive regulatory requirements.

Promote Flexibility and State-Centered Innovation

States are best positioned to identify and address their unique traffic safety challenges.

Giving states the flexibility to set relevant performance targets, adopt innovative technologies, and use advanced data sources for planning and evaluation will improve roadway safety.

Removing restrictive federal barriers and allowing states greater discretion will drive more effective, locally tailored solutions that keep pace with emerging safety trends and technologies.

Data

We’re at an important moment in America’s roadway safety journey. We’re seeing the benefits of investing in traffic enforcement and addressing dangerous driving. Cutting-edge technology, new lifesaving approaches and novel data offer tremendous potential to save even more lives. GHSA is committed to working with the administration and Congress to advance policies that remove barriers for innovation, provide states with the flexibility they need to tackle their unique challenges and save lives on our nation’s roads.

Learn More About GHSA
Jonathan Adkins
GHSA CEO

Additional GHSA Safety Advocacy

GHSA Chair Testifies on Capitol Hill

GHSA Chair Mike Hanson, in testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit in February 2025, highlighted the state of U.S. roadway safety, what’s working and what’s not, and the vital role that State Highway Safety Offices play in making our roads safer.

✂️ Reducing Regulatory Burdens to Promote Safety

GHSA submitted comments in May 2025 to a request for information from the U.S. Department of Transportation on ways to reduce the regulatory and administrative burden associated with highway safety grants.

The comments highlight the challenges SHSOs have faced with increased administrative grant requirements diverting resources from the implementation of safety initiatives.

They also identify areas of the 402 and 405 programs that have been expanded in the regulations beyond their statutory authority like the requirements for public participation and engagement, local expenditure, and law enforcement community collaboration.

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