PCI Hosts Policy Briefing with NHTSA, IIHS, KidsandCars.Org, ITSA, and Progressive on Innovation and Auto Safety

WASHINGTON, July 29 -- The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America issued the following news release:

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) today hosted a policy briefing on "Do Smart Cars Equal Safer Roads?" on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of innovation in making cars safer.

The event was the third installment in PCI's 2014 Capital Engagement Series. Bob Passmore, PCI's senior director, personal lines was joined by Nat Beuse, associate administrator, vehicle safety research, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), David Zuby, executive vice president, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Janette Fennell, founder and president, KidsandCars.Org, Paul Feenstra, senior vice president, government relations and external affairs, Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA), and Michael Doerfler, product development manager, Progressive Insurance. The panelists discussed the critical role each of their organizations plays in improving cars and safety on the roads.

"PCI chose to host this event now because this is the height of the summer driving season with many folks hitting the roads for summer vacations, so there is no better time to raise awareness of safety on the roads," said Passmore. "PCI and its member companies have played and continue to play an important role in saving lives on our nation's roads and we are very pleased to collaborate with NHTSA, IIHS, KidsandCars.Org, ITSA, and Progressive Insurance to continue to ensure that our roads are safe and to encourage drivers to consider technologies that will lessen the likelihood of accidents. I am grateful for their participation in today's Capital Engagement Series event."

"NHTSA, was pleased to participate in this forum to explore the tremendous opportunities that new technologies, such as vehicle to vehicle communications and automation, hold to improve safety on the nation's roadways," said Beuse.

"Our past research has shown that improvements in vehicle structures and restraint systems are protecting people when crashes happen. Our latest research is showing that crash avoidance technologies are preventing crashes. Smarter cars will make our roads safer," said Zuby.

"Safety and technology are significant measures for Americans. They help avert tragic fatalities and injuries on the roads, as well as provide overwhelming economic and public health benefits," said Fennell.

The PCI Capital Engagement Series is a series of briefings and policy discussions that bring together insurance industry thought leaders to discuss the importance of property casualty insurance and the current issues impacting the industry. Additional PCI Capital Engagement Series policy briefings covering topics related to property casualty insurance will be scheduled over the next several months. [Category: Insurance]

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