In This Section

Media Contact

Press Office

US Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
United States

Email: pressoffice@dot.gov
Phone: 1 (202) 366-4570

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

DRIVING THE NEWS: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Hosts First-Ever National AV Safety Forum to Empower AV Innovators to  Build Safely and Affordably in U.S.

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Jonathan Morrison today announced next steps to spur innovation and enhance safety for automated vehicles at USDOT’s first-ever AV Safety Forum. They were joined by White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios.

Click HERE to watch Secretary Duffy on Fox Business

Key Announcements Included:

1. NHTSA is seeking public comment on what would be the nation’s first-ever commercial deployment of a purpose-built robotaxi built by Zoox.
2. NHTSA is sharing updated technical guidance for AV developers for the first time since 2017.
3. NHTSA announced the next batch of proposed updates to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for manufacturers building AVs.

Secretary Duffy visits with Zoox at the Innovation Plaza

Leaders in Innovation:

Alliance for Automotive Innovation:
"Thank YOU Secretary Duffy, Michael Kratsios, and Administrator Morrison and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for focusing not just on safe AV deployment... but a strategy to advance American competitiveness and national security."

Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association CEO Jeff Farrah:
“ Secretary Duffy’s opening comments at NHTSA’s National AV Safety Forum were spot on. Incredible discussion with Zoox CEO Aicha Evans, Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana, and Aurora Co-founder and CEO Chris Urmson on the need for federal rules of the road that support US leadership. Future is bright!”

Aurora CEO Chris Urmson:
" If you'd asked me a decade ago that we would be in the NHTSA auditorium, actually, I'm not even sure if it was here a decade ago, but with this many people, and on the stage with… on a stage with two world-class CEOs, talking about automated vehicles, it's kind of incredible.
And really, my appreciation for the Department of Transportation and NHTSA in particular, for helping shepherd this over that time and moving forward is phenomenal, so thank you for the hard work to the men and women at DOT and NHTSA.”

Consumer Tech Association:
“CTA was pleased to participate in today’s AV Safety Public meeting, hosted by NHTSA and USDOT…Forums like this, which gather regulators, safety experts, and industry, are essential to advancing safe deployment of autonomous vehicles and keeping the U.S. at the forefront of mobility innovation.”

Intelligent Transportation Society of America:
"ITS America applauds NHTSA’s continued leadership in convening the National AV Safety Forum and dialogue with all stakeholders as we look to create a safer, more connected transportation system. We welcome today’s announcement of Zoox’s application for FMVSS exemptions and look forward to providing comments. We look forward to the further modernization of regulations to support AVs with innovative designs and providing clarity around the need for manual controls in AVs."

Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana:
"It was a privilege to join Secretary Duffy and Administrator Morrison at the National AV Safety Forum to discuss the transformative potential of autonomous vehicle technology. With well over 400,000 trips served each week, Waymo has demonstrated that our technology works safely at scale. We remain committed to working alongside the U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to bring the benefits of autonomous mobility to more communities across the country and beyond."

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans:
“Thank you for having me, I really appreciate it…F or Zoox, this is a big day…making sure we take it all the way and modernize the standard itself…this patchwork is very hard…we have to go to each state, and everybody has a slightly different view and a slightly different requirement, and so if that momentum can take us to a federal standard that's applicable everywhere, that would be fantastic.”

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison moderates fireside chat with CEO panel

In the News:
Reuters: US seeks comment on Zoox petition to deploy robotaxis without steering wheels
The Detroit News: NHTSA Takes 'Milestone' Step Toward Robotaxi Commercial Deployment
Automotive World: NHTSA Convenes Waymo, Zoox and Aurora for AV Forum in DC
Devdiscourse: NHTSA Opens Public Discussion on Zoox's Wheel-Free Robotaxis
Carrier Management: U.S. Safety Agency Seeks Comments on Zoox Petition to Deploy Steering Wheel-less Robotaxis

Secretary Duffy opens NHTSA’s National AV Safety Forum

Click HERE to watch the full programming.