In response to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx’s announcement of pending regulations on driverless and connected cars, SAFE President and CEO Robbie Diamond issued the following:

Washington, D.C. - In response to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx's announcement of pending regulations on driverless and connected cars, SAFE President and CEO Robbie Diamond issued the following:

"The United States is crossing the threshold into the largest transformation in transportation since the invention of the automobile. Driverless, connected cars will save lives, reducing road fatalities by 90 percent. They will also encourage the mass deployment of electric vehicles and lessen America's dependence on oil through improved fuel efficiency, diversity and drastically different ownership models. I applaud Secretary Foxx for underscoring the importance of accelerating this transition by tearing down regulatory roadblocks."

"With the government setting aside $4 billion over 10 years for pilot programs to put the rubber to the road, it demonstrates the need to test and prove this technology immediately on public streets. This does not, however, need to be a large, expensive government program. Any future rules at the national or state level should be minimal until proven necessary to give businesses the space to continue their investment in transportation innovation. Accelerating driverless vehicle technology will reduce fatalities and injuries, drastically lower healthcare costs, offer more fuel choice, cut congestion, and give mobility to millions of people who currently have none due to age or disability."

"SAFE, its newly formed Autonomous Vehicle Task Force, and its Energy Security Leadership Council look forward to working with DOT over the next six months."

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 and improve U.S. energy security 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 U.S. oil dependence.