Roadblocks and Speed Traps – Obstacles Slowing the Autonomous Driving Industry and Possible Paths Forward
Please join Squire Patton Boggs on September 19 for the first in a series of in-depth discussions on autonomous driving led by former US Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater, who will be making introductory remarks.
We are excited to announce that our panel of speakers will include Emily Castor, Director of Transportation Policy at Lyft, Jean Shiomoto, Director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and Tim Higgins, Reporter at the Wall Street Journal. With considerable experience addressing challenges in the autonomous driving space, our speakers will lead a discussion on:
- The regulatory landscape for autonomous driving in the years ahead. What would be a better model of regulatory oversight? How might federal, state or local governments occupy/impede this space?
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s soon to be released guidelines for autonomous driving. What are we expecting from these guidelines, and how much will they really impact autonomous vehicle manufacturers and future product roll-outs?
- The ethical challenges of driverless cars are also pressing. Apart from the regulatory hurdles in getting these cars on the roads, our society will also grapple with fundamental ethical dilemmas driven by this technology.
bout the speakers:
Rodney E. Slater is a partner in the Public Policy – Transportation Infrastructure and Local Governments Practice at Squire Patton Boggs and the former US Secretary of Transportation under Bill Clinton. He helps state and local government clients address the vexing challenge of closing the gap between transportation demand and capacity by employing public/private strategies and innovative financing solutions.
Emily Castor leads Lyft's partnerships with transportation agencies across the US, integrating Lyft as a last-mile connection to public transit and a viable alternative to car ownership. Emily started her career as a transportation policy aide for a US Congresswoman and later served as a financial advisor for municipal infrastructure projects. She holds an MPA from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jean Shiomoto directs the statewide operations of the California Department of Motor vehicles that include driver licensing, vehicle and boat registration, motor carrier licensing, driver safety, occupational licensing and regulation of those programs. She was appointed the Director of the California DMV by Governor Brown on November 5, 2013. Prior to her appointment, Jean served as the Department of Motor Vehicle's Deputy Director of the Communication Programs Division and Chief Financial Officer.
Tim Higgins is a reporter at the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) covering technology and automobiles. Prior to joining the WSJ, he covered money and politics for Bloomberg and automobiles for the Detroit Free Press. Tim has won several awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and has been a five-time finalist for the Livingston Awards, including for breaking the news that GM would name Mary Barra as the first female CEO of a global automaker.