STOP Frontovers Act of 2026

This Act may be cited as the “Standards To Prevent Frontovers Act of 2026” or the “STOP Frontovers Act of 2026”.

In this Act:

(1) Backover.— The term backover means a low-speed incident where a non-occupant of a motor vehicle is struck by the motor vehicle moving in reverse.

(2) Frontover.— The term frontover means a low-speed incident where a non-occupant of a motor vehicle is struck by the motor vehicle moving forward in an area that the driver of the motor vehicle cannot see.

(3) Motor vehicle.— The term motor vehicle has the meaning given the term in section 30102(a) of title 49, United States Code.

(4) Secretary.— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Transportation.

(a) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall initiate a rulemaking to promulgate a Federal motor vehicle safety standard under section 30111 of title 49, United States Code, establishing performance requirements that reduce death and injury resulting from frontovers and other low-speed incidents.

(b) Requirements and considerations.— The performance requirements of the motor vehicle safety standard described in subsection (a) shall—

(1) minimize safety risks of frontovers and other low-speed incidents;

(2) establish a direct visibility standard; and

(3) require—

(A) at a minimum, the detection of, in the field of direct vision of the driver and blind zones of the motor vehicle and any crash avoidance system—

(i) a motor vehicle;

(ii) a pedestrian, including toddlers and small children;

(iii) a bicyclist;

(iv) a vulnerable road user (as defined in section 148(a) of title 23, United States Code);

(v) a wheelchair or assistive device user;

(vi) a micromobility or motorcycle rider; and

(vii) any other individual, equipment, vehicle, or animal, as determined by the Secretary;

(B) a driver notification system that enables the driver of the motor vehicle to effectively respond to objects described in clauses (i) through (vii) of subparagraph (A) to prevent and reduce the severity of frontovers and other low-speed incidents;

(C) an active intervention system that enables the motor vehicle to effectively respond to objects described in clauses (i) through (vii) of subparagraph (A) to prevent and reduce the severity of frontovers and other low-speed incidents; and

(D) a distinct auditory and visual alert, which may be combined with a haptic alert, any time the driver notification system described in subparagraph (B) or the active intervention system described in subparagraph (C) engages in a way that warrants a driver or motor vehicle response.

(c) Timeline.—

(1) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date on which the rulemaking is initiated under subsection (a), the Secretary shall promulgate the final motor vehicle safety standard described in that subsection.

(2) Full compliance.— Not later than 2 years after the date on which the final motor vehicle safety standard is promulgated under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall require full compliance with that final motor vehicle safety standard.

(3) Phase-in period.—

(A) In general.— The Secretary may establish a phase-in period for compliance with the motor vehicle safety standard promulgated under paragraph (1).

(B) Requirement.— A phase-in period established under subparagraph (A) shall only be for a period of time that allows for full compliance with the motor vehicle safety standard in accordance with paragraph (2).

(C) Phase-in priorities.—

(i) In general.— In establishing a phase-in period under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider whether to require the phase-in according to different types of motor vehicles based on data demonstrating the frequency by which various types of motor vehicles have been involved in frontovers and other low-speed incidents resulting in injury or death.

(ii) Regulations required.— If the Secretary determines under clause (i) that any type of motor vehicle should be given priority for the phase-in period established under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall promulgate regulations that specify—

(I) the 1 or more types of motor vehicles that shall be phased-in first; and

(II) the percentages by which those motor vehicles shall be phased-in.

(d) Reports to Congress.— Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, if the final motor vehicle safety standard described in subsection (a) has not been promulgated in accordance with the requirements of this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report, which shall include—

(1) a timeline on promulgating that motor vehicle safety standard;

(2) the reasons for the delay in promulgating that motor vehicle safety standard; and

(3) the steps being taken by the Secretary—

(A) to address those reasons; and

(B) to meet the timeline described in paragraph (1).

(e) Amendment.— Section 30129 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(c) Final rule.— Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary of Transportation shall issue a final rule—

(1) establishing a compliance date under subsection (b) that is not later than the date that is 2 years after that date of enactment; and

(2) requiring all passenger motor vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States on or after that compliance date to be equipped with the crash avoidance technologies described in subsection (a).”.

(a) In general.— Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall include an element for a frontover and an element for a backover in the data maintained, and the summary reports published from that data, under the Non-Traffic Surveillance (NTS) System of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

(b) Other reporting considerations.— In addition to the requirement under subsection (a), the Secretary may consider other mechanisms to help inform reporting relating to frontovers and backovers, including changes to State crash report data requirements or other reporting systems.

(c) Notification to Congress.— The Secretary shall notify Congress on completion of the requirement under subsection (a).