FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 23, 2018
CONTACTS: Kara Macek, kmacek@ghsa.org, 202-262-4889
Robert Hydrick, robert.hydrick@gohs.ga.gov, 404-859-0141
Georgia Governor, U.S. DOT Officials, NBA Hall of Famer to Address Gathering
WASHINGTON, D.C. and ATLANTA, Ga. – More than 600 of the nation’s highway safety professionals will convene at Atlanta’s Westin Peachtree Plaza next week for the Governors Highway Safety Association’s Annual Meeting, Joining Forces to Get to Zero: Partnerships in Traffic Safety, occurring August 26-29. Hosted by the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, a record number of GHSA attendees will consider innovative strategies and collaborations to reduce traffic crashes and fatalities.
The meeting will draw several top leaders from the federal and state government to discuss traffic safety priorities, including Derek Kan, Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT). Kan will discuss the Administration’s perspective on emerging vehicle technologies during a roundtable discussion of autonomous vehicles on Wednesday, August 29.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Deputy Administrator Heidi King will kick off the meeting during the opening session on Monday, August 27, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. alongside Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. King will address the federal government’s teamwork with states and communities, while Governor Deal will touch on getting top state officials engaged in traffic safety.
On Tuesday, August 28, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., three prominent highway safety leaders will come together to discuss additional opportunities for collaboration:
- Honorable Raymond Martinez, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, will provide insights on how states can help bolster commercial vehicle safety.
- John Bozzella, President and CEO of Global Automakers, will suggest how states can work with automakers to reach mutual safety goals.
- David Harkey, President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), will unveil new research and share how IIHS is working with states to advance safety.
GHSA’s annual highway safety awards will be presented on Tuesday, August 28, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., with a special appearance by NBA Hall of Famer, Clayton County (GA) Sheriff's Deputy, and long-time highway safety champion Shaquille O'Neal.
In addition to remarks by Under Secretary Kan, the Autonomous Vehicle Roundtable on Wednesday, August 29, 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. will bring together experts from the automotive, ride-hailing, insurance, and licensing industries to consider the latest developments in this ever-changing field and elaborate on the findings of a new GHSA report on how states can prepare for these technologies. Speakers include:
- Anne Ferro, President & CEO, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators;
- Ryan Gammelgard, Counsel, State Farm®;
- Dr. Jim Hedlund, Principal, Highway Safety North;
- Anne Marie Lewis, Director of Safety and Technology Policy, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers; and
- Lia Theodosiou-Pisanelli, Director, Autonomous Vehicle Strategy and Business Development, Lyft.
A group of former U.S. DOT officials will close out the conference during a luncheon on Wednesday, August 19, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Now working across a number of industries, these experts will share lessons learned from their decades of experience and offer their thoughts on the future of highway safety.
These general sessions will be reinforced by 15 breakout workshops tackling a variety of critical traffic safety topics, including drug-impaired driving, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and creative partnerships. Additionally, more than 60 exhibitors will be on hand to share latest highway safety products and services.
A detailed meeting agenda is available online. News media representatives should contact Kara Macek at kmacek@ghsa.org or 202-262-4889 for press credentials. Many general session and workshop speakers will be available for interviews following their sessions.
Top-level companies and organizations providing support for this year’s meeting include AT&T; Check To Protect; Ford Driving Skills for Life; the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility; The National Road Safety Foundation, Inc.; State Farm; Uber; Michelin North America, Inc.; NASCAR; and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. A full list of meeting sponsors and partners is available online.
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About GHSA
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management and promote best practices. Its members are appointed by their Governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans. Contact GHSA at 202-789-0942 or visit www.ghsa.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GHSAhq or follow us on Twitter @GHSAHQ.