Wayve’s Dr Sarah Gates Advocates for Collaborative AV Policy at TRB Symposium in San Diego

At the National Academies Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) annual Automated Road Transportation Symposium (ARTS24) in San Diego, CA, Dr Sarah Gates, Director of Public Policy at Wayve, participated in a session titled “Moving AV Policy Forward.” Joined by industry leaders Tim Goodman, Associate General Counsel, Worldwide Road Safety & Compliance, Amazon, Melissa Wade, Senior Director of Government Relations, Aurora, and Ron Thaniel, Senior Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs and Federal Government Affairs Lead, Zoox, the session focused on advancing autonomous vehicle (AV) policy through collaboration between policymakers, industry, and academia.

Dr Gates emphasized the importance of involving AV developers in the legislative process to ensure regulations are informed by technical expertise. She highlighted the UK’s AV Act 2024 as a leading example, noting its innovation-friendly framework and transparent standards that support safe technology deployment. Gates also pointed to the DriveSafeAI project, a collaboration between Wayve and Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), as a model for developing safety frameworks that can build regulatory confidence.

Gates warned that misaligned global regulations could stifle innovation and investment in the AV industry. She advocated harmonizing national regulations with international standards, such as those developed by the UNECE, to create a more appealing market for AV deployment. This alignment is crucial for the global growth of AV technology and for fostering public trust in self-driving vehicles.