WASHINGTON, D.C.–Today, the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate passed Senate Bills 995-997 and substitute amendments which further enable the development, testing and eventual deployment of autonomous vehicles.

“We at SAFE strongly applaud the Michigan Legislature for passing this important legislation, and urge Governor Rick Snyder to sign it into law,” said Chuck Cunningham, Senior Vice President for Government Relations and External Affairs at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE). “This legislation will help accelerate the mobility innovation underway that, once implemented, will save lives and prevent injuries from vehicular accidents. This legislation will also greatly enhance the mobility and independence of disabled and elderly citizens while also increasing fuel efficiency and diversity in our transportation sector. The increased fuel efficiency from autonomous vehicles will also reduce our reliance on foreign oil and help insulate our economy from the manipulation and volatility of that market.”

SAFE is actively leading policy efforts at the federal and state level on autonomous vehicle technology, testing and deployment. Earlier this year, the SAFE 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 National Strategy for Energy Security: The Innovation Revolution. This document provides a comprehensive strategy for policymakers with concrete recommendations that can strengthen our nation’s energy security.

Included in SAFE’s National Strategy are a complete set of recommendations for the advancement and adoption of autonomous vehicles. This technology offers the potential to deliver transformative benefits—significantly reducing America’s oil demand while saving thousands of lives and expanding mobility access for millions—without the need for overly-burdensome regulation at the federal or state level.

About Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE)

Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) is a nonpartisan organization that aims to reduce America’s dependence on oil in order to bolster national security and strengthen the economy. SAFE advocates for expanded domestic production of U.S. oil and gas resources, continued improvements in fuel efficiency, and in the long-term, breaking oil’s stranglehold on the transportation sector through alternatives like natural gas for heavy-duty trucks and plug-in electric 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, 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.

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