US Department Of Transportation Launches Committee On Self-Driving Cars

The U.S. Department of Transportation will launch a federal committee on self-driving cars that includes multiple notable technology executives, according to an announcement on Thursday.

Via a statement, the group will regularly meet to discuss various aspects of automated technology and the Department of Transportation’s role in setting policy.

The committee, which includes leading professionals and experts in their field, will hold its first meeting on January 16th, 2017 to immediately begin work on some of the most pressing and relevant matters facing transportation today, including the development and deployment of automated vehicles, and determining the needs of the Department as it continues with its relevant research, policy, and regulations.

The committee will be chaired by Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti and General Motors CEO Mary Barra. Other members include executives and staffers from companies such as Amazon, Lyft and Zipcar.

In the past few years, many car companies have taken a significant interest on automation and self-driving technology. Numerous manufacturers and cities have entered the field and begun early testing and research for partially to fully automated driving. With moves like the Department of Transportation’s committee and secretary of transportation nominee Elaine Chao’s support for self-driving tech, the growth in the industry is likely to continue.

The full list of committee members includes:

1. Co-Chair: Mary Barra- General Motors, Chairman and CEO

2. Co-Chair : Eric Garcetti- Mayor of Los Angeles, CA

3. Vice Chair : Dr. J. Chris Gerdes- Stanford University, Professor of Engineering

4. Gloria Boyland- FedEx, Corporate Vice President, Operations & Service Support

5. Robin Chase- Zipcar; Buzzcar; Veniam, Co-founder of Zipcar and Veniam

6. Douglas Chey- Hyperloop One, Senior Vice President of Systems Development

7. Henry Claypool- Community Living Policy Center, Policy Director

8. Mick Cornett- Mayor of Oklahoma City, OK

9. Mary “Missy” Cummings- Duke University, Director, Humans and Autonomy Lab, Pratt School of Engineering

10. Dean Garfield- Information Technology Industry Council, President and CEO

11. Mary Gustanski- Delphi Automotive, Vice President of Engineering & Program Management

12. Debbie Hersman- National Safety Council, President and CEO

13. Rachel Holt- Uber, Regional General Manager, United States and Canada

14. Lisa Jackson- Apple, Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives

15. Tim Kentley-Klay- Zoox, Co-founder and CEO

16. John Krafcik- Waymo, CEO

17. Gerry Murphy- Amazon, Senior Corporate Counsel, Aviation

18. Robert Reich- University of California, Berkeley, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy

19. Keller Rinaudo- Zipline International, CEO

20. Chris Spear- American Trucking Association (ATA), President and CEO

21. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger- Safety Reliability Methods, Inc., Founder and CEO

22. Bryant Walker Smith- University of South Carolina, Assistant Professor, School of Law and (by courtesy) School of Engineering

23. Jack Weekes- State Farm Insurance, Operations Vice President, Innovation Team

24. Ed Wytkind- President, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO

25. John Zimmer- Lyft, Co-founder and President