Ford, Google Form Autonomous Vehicle Advocacy Group
Google, Ford, Volvo, Uber and Lyft form the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets to push for federal standards for self-driving vehicles.
by Staff
April 26, 2016
Photo of self-driving Ford Fusion Hybrid courtesy of Ford.
1 min to read
Photo of self-driving Ford Fusion Hybrid courtesy of Ford.
Google, Ford Motor Co. and Volvo Cars have formed a coalition, along with ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft, to represent the interests of self-driving technology companies in regulatory matters, the Detroit News reported.
The new advocacy group has been dubbed the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. David Strickland, a former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), will serve as the organization’s counsel and spokesman.
Ad Loading...
“The best path for this innovation is to have one clear set of federal standards and the Coalition will work with policymakers to find the right solutions that will facilitate the deployment of self-driving vehicles,” Strickland said in the statement.
On April 27, NHTSA will hold a public hearing at Stanford University in California, seeking input on future operational guidelines for the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles.
“Of high importance to the agency is information on the roadway scenarios and operational environments that highly automated vehicles will need to address, and the associated design and evaluation processes and methods needed to ensure that AV [automated vehicle] systems are able to detect and appropriately react to these scenarios,” NHTSA said in an announcement about the meeting.
Distracted driving remains one of the most persistent risks in fleet operations. New approaches focus on removing mobile device use entirely while adding real-time safety support.
As distraction risks evolve, fleets are turning to smarter, more connected technologies to better understand what’s happening behind the wheel. Part 2 explores how these tools are helping identify risky behaviors and improve visibility across operations.
Distracted driving is often measured by what we can see—phones in hand, eyes off the road. But what about the distractions we can’t? A recent incident raises a bigger question about awareness, attention, and why subtle risks so often go unnoticed.
Fleets have more driver data than ever, so why isn't behavior changing? Training requires more than reports and coaching — it requires real-world practice.
A two-part conversation with Stefan Heck on how AI is transforming the fight against distracted driving. As fleets adopt smarter tools, the focus shifts from reacting to preventing risk. In Part 1, we look at where AI is making an impact for fleets today.
An 11% drop in pedestrian fatalities in early 2025 signals progress in U.S. road safety, but elevated death rates and ongoing risks underscore the need for continued action from fleets and policymakers.
