Above: Congresswoman Friedman announces the Next Gen Road Safety Act alongside law enforcement leaders and road safety advocates at McCambridge Park in Burbank.

BURBANK, CA - Today, April 8, 2026, U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30) announced the bipartisan Next Gen Road Safety Act, which expands the COPS grant program so law enforcement agencies can access federal funding for modern technology to prevent and de-escalate high-speed vehicular pursuits. Friedman was joined by local law enforcement and road safety organizations.

A recording of the press conference can be found here.

"Every person on our roads deserves to get home safe - the officer on patrol, the family driving to dinner, the teenager walking to school," said Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30). "Right now, our officers are facing a massive technology gap. They don't have the modern tools to de-escalate dangerous chases quickly and safely. The Next Gen Road Safety Act changes that by unlocking federal investment through the COPS grant program for vehicle-disabling systems, drones, and police bumper systems. This bill is simple, it's bipartisan, and it will save lives. I'm proud that law enforcement leaders and road safety advocates are standing together today - because when we invest in smarter tools, everybody wins."

THE NEXT GEN ROAD SAFETY ACT:

• The Next Gen Road Safety Act amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to add a new eligible use for COPS grants.
• Supports local agencies in purchasing tools to de-escalate chases such as:
  • Vehicle-disabling systems that can safely stop a fleeing car
  • Police bumper systems that reduce the risk of dangerous collisions
  • Drones that can track a vehicle from the air so officers don't have to put themselves or the public in danger on the ground

BY THE NUMBERS:

• More than 94% of police pursuits end without any safe termination technology deployed
• The U.S. Department of Justice has called vehicular pursuits "the most dangerous of all ordinary police activities"
• Between 2017 and 2022, at least 3,336 people were killed in police vehicular pursuits nationwide - nearly 2 per day
• More than 52,600 people were injured in pursuits over the same period
• More than half of those killed were not the fleeing driver - they were bystanders, passengers, and pedestrians
• In California in 2022: nearly 12,000 pursuits, 34 deaths, more than 400 bystander injuries
• California had more bystander deaths from police pursuits than any other state
• At least 30% of all police vehicle chases involve collisions; nearly 1 in 5 result in injuries or death
• LAPD data shows car chases surged in 2024, with 1,116 pursuits - the most since 2018

Congresswoman Friedman was joined today by Burbank City Councilmember Nikki Perez, Los Angeles County Assistant Sheriff Myron Johnson, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department Commander Jennifer L. Seetoo, Los Angeles Police Department Captain Yvonne Ortiz, Burbank Police Chief Rafael Quintero, Burbank Deputy Police Chief Adam Cornils, Glendale Interim Police Chief Robert William, and Streets For All Founder and CEO Michael Schneider.

Below: Congresswoman Friedman announces the Next Gen Road Safety Act alongside law enforcement leaders and road safety advocates at McCambridge Park in Burbank.

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