Last week, five of the world's most innovative technology, ridesharing and automotive companies announced the formation of the Self Driving Coalition for Safer Streets. The coalition, whose members include Ford, Google, Lyft, Uber, and Volvo Cars, was established to work with lawmakers, regulators, and the public to realize the safety and societal benefits of self-driving vehicles. Venable partner David Strickland will serve as the coalition's general counsel and spokesperson.
"Selfdriving vehicle technology will make America’s roadways safer and less congested. 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 selfdriving vehicles," Strickland said in a statement announcing the coalition. Speaking with Reuters shortly after the coalition was announced, Strickland added, "What people are looking for is clear rules of the road of what needs to be done for (fully autonomous) vehicles to be on the road… Nobody wants to take a shortcut on this."
In addition to Reuters, multiple publications featured news of the coalition and Strickland's role including Automotive News, The Hill, Motor Trend, Politico, Bloomberg, New York Post, Yahoo, and Forbes among others.