The California Transportation Commission presented findings from the vehicle weight safety study task force convened under Assembly Bill 251. Staff summarized UC Berkeley's research and five task force meetings held in 2025 that examined trends in passenger vehicle weight and implications for vulnerable road user safety.

The research presented to the task force shows rising average passenger vehicle weight across vehicle classes and an increase in pedestrian fatalities (a reported 71% rise in pedestrian fatalities since 2010 in the data shown) and serious injuries for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Berkeley analysis, however, stopped short of identifying a clear causal relationship between increasing vehicle weight and the rise in vulnerable road user fatalities because of the challenge of isolating single causal variables in crash data.

Task force members discussed several policy responses: a weight‑based fee (structured as a registration or point‑of‑purchase fee) that could fund pedestrian and bicycle safety investments or incentives for smaller vehicles; regulatory responses such as vehicle testing for pedestrian outcomes; and investments in built environment improvements. Some task force participants recommended pursuing a fee paired with incentives, while others opposed a fee citing limited causation evidence, affordability concerns, and political feasibility.

Public commenters at the meeting — including environmental and safety advocates — urged the commission to recommend a weight‑based fee and to direct revenues to pedestrian safety projects and incentives for lighter vehicles, citing statistics about vehicle size and pedestrian risk.

Next steps: staff will present the task force findings to the interagency equity advisory committee for additional feedback and then prepare a draft report to the legislature for 2026 incorporating further public input and recommended options.

Sources: CTC presentation of AB 251 task force findings and public comments at the December 2025 commission meeting.