A talk on innovation, driver behavior and the future of vehicle safety kicked off Homecoming Weekend, followed by an autonomous mobility demonstration.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Deputy Administrator Lee White returned to his alma mater on October 2 to deliver the inaugural Future Mobility Living Lab Distinguished Lecture, part of the University of Georgia Office of the Provost’s Signature Lecture Series. Hosted by the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility and the UGA College of Engineering, the event drew students, faculty, researchers and transportation professionals to the Georgia Power Auditorium in Driftmier Engineering Center during Homecoming Weekend.
White, who graduated from UGA in 1984 with a degree in economics, titled his talk, “Driving the Future: AI, Automation, and Transportation Safety.” He opened by recalling how a sign-up sheet in the student career center connected him to a seasonal UPS driving job, which then became a 35-year career at the company before he moved into leadership roles in automated vehicles, the U.S. Department of Transportation and NHTSA.
White’s talk traced the history of U.S. vehicle safety, from federal safety legislation to the founding of the NHTSA, which led to safety mandates such as air bags and backup cameras installed in new vehicles. Despite these advancements, White cautioned, road safety still relies on responsible driver behavior. He urged students to take an active role in changing the culture around driving. “Safety is not a passive concept,” White said. “It is an active choice you make every single time you step into a vehicle.”
Looking ahead, White described what he called a “New Golden Age of Transportation,” driven by AI, automation and new modes of travel including commercial spaceflight and supersonic planes. He went on to say the next five years will be pivotal and discussed the NHTSA’s approach of “deliberative urgency” towards automated driving systems: streamlining exemptions for nontraditional vehicles, producing federal competency standards and retaining authority to oversee safety. White said, “NHTSA remains the cop on the beat.”
The lecture was followed by a brief fireside chat with Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Commissioner and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) President Russell McMurry, moderated by GNEM Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Gabrielle Pierre. The fireside conversation was followed by an autonomous mobility technology demonstration courtesy of Future Mobility Living Lab led by Drs. Qianwen (Cami) Li and Handong Yao, which gave attendees a firsthand look at emerging vehicle technologies, including the university’s federally funded rural autonomous vehicle project. Demonstrations included technology that helps vehicles detect pedestrians, navigate work zones and respond to potential hazards.
The Future Mobility Living Lab and Georgia Network for Electric Mobility are part of UGA’s continued work in AI, electric mobility and transportation technologies.
