Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 31 states will likely be required to spend 15% or more of Highway Safety Improvement Program funds on vulnerable road user safety based on 2020 traffic death data recently published by NHTSA.
The new VRU Special Rule at 23 U.S.C. 148(g)(3) provides: “If the total annual fatalities of vulnerable road users in a State represents not less than 15 percent of the total annual crash fatalities in the State, that State shall be required to obligate not less than 15 percent of the amounts apportioned to the State under section 104(b)(3) for the following fiscal year for highway safety improvement projects to address the safety of vulnerable road users.’’