Congress orders safety study on car touchscreens that distract drivers

What it does

This bill directs the Department of Transportation to commission a study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examining how touchscreen-based vehicle controls affect driver distraction, injuries, and deaths—particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. The study will compare touchscreen systems to traditional physical controls and smartphones, and the DOT will report findings to Congress within 24 months and submit recommendations for federal action within 26 months.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is to commission and publish independent research on vehicle safety, with no regulatory carve-outs or industry exemptions. It is a straightforward evidence-gathering mechanism designed to inform future policy.

What the text implies

• Study findings may pressure automakers to redesign infotainment systems, potentially increasing vehicle development costs and timelines.
• Recommendations could lead to federal safety standards that override state-level vehicle regulations, centralizing transportation safety authority.
• Comparison of touchscreen vs. smartphone distraction may reveal that in-vehicle systems are safer, potentially shielding automakers from liability or regulation.
• Data collection changes to NHTSA surveys may reveal previously unmeasured safety gaps, creating political pressure for rapid regulatory response.

Who it affects

The bill funds independent research into a genuine public safety hazard (touchscreen distraction in vehicles) and mandates transparent reporting to Congress and the public. Citizens benefit from evidence-based policy on vehicle safety, and the study may lead to regulations that reduce traffic deaths and injuries.

Who stands to gain

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (research contract)
• Automotive manufacturers (if study exonerates touchscreen systems or delays regulation)

Named in the bill

Department of Transportation (DOT), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Fatality Analysis Reporting System, National Occupant Protection Use Surveys, Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria

Where it stands

5 cosponsors: 3 Republicans, 2 Democrats.

• May 13, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• May 13, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade”
• Feb 10, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

6 lobbying clients named this bill on 9 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $9,602,175 in lobbying spend. A filing names 38 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 82% of bills with at least one filing.

Kevin Mullin, the sponsor, reported $505,911 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• General Motors Company — $3,460,000 on 1 filing
• American Property Casualty Insurance Association — $2,140,000 on 1 filing
• American Honda Motor Co., Inc. — $1,477,000 on 1 filing
• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company — $1,030,000 on 2 filings
• National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies — $1,005,758 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 22, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.