Securing America's Future Energy

SAFE Applauds Colorado for Enacting Positive Autonomous Vehicle Bill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bridget Bartol | 202.461.2361 | bbartol@secureenergy.org

Washington, D.C.—Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) commends the Colorado General Assembly for passing Senate Bill 213, and Governor John Hickenlooper for signing it into law today, which will accelerate autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment by avoiding harmful overregulation and harmonizing existing state laws with AVs.

“SAFE applauds the Governor and the State of Colorado for prioritizing AV deployment and putting Coloradoans at the forefront of new transportation technologies,” said SAFE President and CEO Robbie Diamond. “While SAFE continues to advocate for a single, unified national framework for AV development and deployment, we are pleased that Colorado’s legislation does not add an unnecessary burden to AV growth. A clear regulatory environment, such as this one, allows for accelerated adoption of these technologies that will contribute to a safer, more accessible, more efficient and fuel-diverse transportation system.”

This law creates a clear path to AV deployment by only requiring AVs be capable of adhering to the rules of the road. S.B. 213 also establishes AVs as a matter of statewide concern, restraining agencies and municipalities from overregulation that would hinder deployment of this technology. These proactive provisions instituted by Colorado will speed up AV development in the state while avoiding the type of regulatory patchwork that is detrimental to innovation.

In January, SAFE’s Commission on Autonomous Vehicle Testing and Safety, a panel of experts and former public officials committed to the safe and timely introduction of AVs, released its best-practice recommendations for AV deployment. These recommendations emphasized the need for a clear regulatory environment, as well as industry-government communication.

In 2016, SAFE’s Energy Security Leadership Council (ESLC), a group of senior retired military officers and CEOs committed to reducing U.S. oil dependence for economic and national security reasons, released a set of recommendations for AV advancement and adoption in its comprehensive policy document, A National Strategy for Energy Security: The Innovation Revolution.

About Securing America’s Future Energy
Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) is an action-oriented, nonpartisan organization that aims to reduce America’s dependence on oil. Near-total dependence on petroleum in the transportation sector undermines the nation’s economic and national security, and constrains U.S. foreign policy. To combat these threats, SAFE advocates for expanded domestic production of U.S. oil and gas resources, continued improvements in vehicle fuel efficiency, and transportation sector innovations including electric vehicles, natural gas trucks, and autonomous vehicles. In 2006, SAFE joined with General P.X. Kelley (Ret.), 28th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, to form the Energy Security Leadership Council (ESLC), a group of business and former military leaders committed to reducing the United States’ dependence on oil. Today, the ESLC is co-chaired by Frederick W. Smith and General James T. Conway (Ret), 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
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