Washington, D.C.—Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) today presented and submitted comments to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at a meeting for public input on the recently released Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety.

“We thank the administration for its work on the Vision for Safety policy statement, which is a positive step towards giving industry and the public greater certainty on federal policy as well as balancing the need for transparency on safety while leaving space for private sector innovation. We look forward to continuing to work with NHTSA and the Administration as it continues to update and expand its guidance on autonomous systems,” said Amitai Bin-Nun, SAFE’s Vice President of Autonomous Vehicles and Mobility Innovation. “In particular, we commend the Administration for clarifying its stance on the Voluntary Safety Self-Assessment. We see this as a crucial tool for guiding communications between autonomous vehicle developers and the government, as well as the public, setting the stage for continued improvement in public confidence and balanced government oversight of AV safety assurance.”

SAFE’s full comment can be found here.

Currently 92 percent of the U.S. transportation system is powered by oil. Autonomous vehicles are expected to lower fuel consumption by improving vehicle efficiency through improved traffic flow and optimized routing, in addition to improving fuel choice and undermining oil’s monopoly as a transportation fuel by facilitating a shift towards advanced transportation fuels such as electricity and natural gas.

SAFE is working at the state and federal level to advocate for a unified, clear, and modern regulatory framework to enable the safe and expeditious deployment of automated cars and trucks on the nation’s roadways.

A livestream of the listening session can be found here.

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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