US says World Forum vital

11 July 2013

“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will remain fully and enthusiastically engaged in the vital work of WP.29,” said the top US automotive safety official during the June session of the World Forum.

The remarks of NHTSA Administrator David Strickland stressed the importance of international collaboration in focusing and facilitating the introduction of new safety and environmental technologies.

“In the broadest sense, research and data-sharing shape every aspect of vehicle innovation,” Strickland said. “The commitment to share data, experience, ideas, and expertise is a powerful resource that is moving our international community toward many common goals, including the vital work to establish a comprehensive set of global technical vehicle regulations.”

Strickland noted the benefits of international “collaboration and transparency”, including across government and industry, in research programs to increase fuel efficiency, enhance vehicle crash-worthiness, and advance vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure technologies.

Consequently, NHTSA sees WP.29 as providing a vital structure through which all stakeholders can engage in advancing vehicle safety and environmental performance.

Strickland lauded the adoption of the new global technical regulation on hydrogen and fuel-cell vehicle safety, co-sponsored by Germany, Japan, and the United States, as “a shining example of international collaboration at its very best”.

“The hard work and cooperative spirit among contracting parties and industry have produced a GTR that is performance- and science-based, well-supported by excellent research, and grounded in credible scientific data.”

“The GTR will advance development and international deployment of safe hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles, and ultimately enable our community to achieve its shared goals of decreasing our dependence on fossil fuel, reducing carbon emissions, and enabling clean, reliable power generation.”

Strickland underscored the US attachment to the World Forum|WP.29 by presenting a plaque “in recognition of the outstanding contribution of the Secretariat of the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, to the advancement of global technical regulations for motor vehicle safety”.

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