Securing America's Future Energy

SAFE Applauds Department of Transportation for Implementing Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Leslie Hayward
Number: 202-461-2364

Committee aligns with recommendation put forward in SAFE’s 2016 National Strategy for Energy Security

WASHINGTON D.C.—Following yesterday’s announcement that the Department of Transportation (DOT) will form the Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) President and CEO Robbie Diamond made the following statement:

“It is heartening to see the Federal Government continue to work proactively on developing a policy framework that supports the expeditious deployment of autonomous vehicles. It is absolutely imperative that the government take the right approach towards this technology, and strike the sweet spot between overly onerous regulations that stifle innovation, and failure to act which will create uncertainty for industry and consumers. We have to get this right, and we have to get it right soon. SAFE looks forward to continuing to work with the Department of Transportation on these issues.”

SAFE has urged close work between government and the private sector, and encouraged inclusion of the diverse perspectives necessary for effective understanding of autonomous vehicles and their impact. SAFE also recommended the formation of a working group to amplify the benefits of autonomous vehicles in its 2016 National Strategy for Energy Security, arguing that “the DOT…interagency working group must seriously engage academic and industrial actors with the expertise to inform the regulatory process.” SAFE also suggested that the Executive Office of the President should establish the group with the participation of all relevant government agencies, including the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Office of Health and Human Services, National Science Foundation, and Office of Housing and Urban Development.

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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