Self-driving cars may sound futuristic, but Washington state is leading the way right now on developing autonomous vehicles that are safe and could help save lives, reduce carbon emissions and create jobs.
Gov. Jay Inslee today signed an executive order to support safe testing and operation of autonomous vehicles (AVs). The executive order establishes an interagency workgroup to work with local, regional and federal officials, stakeholders and industry groups, recommend changes or clarifications to state polices and rules about AVs, and examine other emerging automated transportation technology. The order also enables pilot programs for organizations developing AV equipment and technology.
The governor signed the executive order at Echodyne, a radar technology startup in Bellevue that is working to ensure AVs stay safe and affordable.
“Washington state is already a leader in autonomous vehicle technology. We are an early-adopter that welcomes innovation and the safe testing and operation of AVs,” Inslee said. “AVs could help save countless lives, reclaim time spent in traffic, improve mobility and be an important tool in our efforts to combat climate change.”
Safety of these vehicles is a top consideration for the governor and for the companies developing this technology.
“The governor’s executive order helps prepare us for the future by supporting the safe testing and operation of autonomous vehicle technology,” said Chief John Batiste of the Washington State Patrol.
“AVs could dramatically improve traffic safety by reducing highway fatalities,” added Darrin Grondel, director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. “Each year, 33,000 people die in traffic collisions in the United States, and 94 percent of those crashes are linked to human error.”
press release issued June 7th, read full article
https://medium.com/wagovernor/hands-off-the-wheel-c414fa6b11bb
NEWS NOTEBOOK
Kilmer Statement on No Health Insurers Filing Plans for Grays Harbor for 2018
Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) released the following statement after no health insurers filed plans for Washington state’s 2018 individual health insurance market in Grays Harbor County. The move would leave more than 2,000 people in the county currently enrolled in the individual market without insurance.
“For years, I have been working to get Congress to change how healthcare is provided in rural communities because this matters to people,” said Kilmer. “When Congress or the President play politics and destabilize the insurance market leading to today's news, that hurts people. It hurts folks in our region in need of treatment, or who want to take their kids to the doctor, or who are concerned about the cost of the treatment and medication they need. While I wasn't in Congress when the Affordable Care Act was passed, I’ll keep working to get folks to stop playing politics and focus on improving the system so people in rural areas have access to affordable, quality coverage.”
http://kilmer.house.gov/news/press-releases/kilmer-statement-on-no-health-insurers-filing-plans-for-grays-harbor-for-2018_
For more state news headlines see page 2
