Highway safety chief David Strickland steps down

WASHINGTON — David Strickland, who since 2010 has played a key role in managing the federal agency with direct regulatory oversight of the automobile industry, will step down in the near future.

As administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Strickland has overseen development of the nation's fuel efficiency program as well as various safety initiatives, including those linked to reducing distracted driving and focusing on child passenger safety.

The reason for Strickland's departure or whether he was taking another job was not immediately known.

"We're going to miss David's leadership," said Mitch Bainwol, CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group that represents Chrysler, Ford, GM, Toyota and several other top automakers. "He has been a data-driven administrator who always kept his door open."

Earlier this year, Strickland was part of a compromise reached with Chrysler to recall 1.6 million Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty models to reduce fire risk from rear-impact collisions after the company initially refused the agency's request. His agency also levied the maximum allowable penalty —more than $17 million — against Toyota in connection with an investigation into sudden acceleration caused by floor map entrapment.

Nathan Naylor, a spokesman for NHTSA, confirmed that Strickland is stepping down but could not provide any details about timing. He said Deputy Administrator David Friedman will serve as acting administrator after Strickland leaves. Friedman, formerly a senior engineer with the Union of Concerned Scientists, became deputy this May.

Bainwol said the challenge for NHTSA's next leader will be to keep up with massive innovation without creating regulations that slow technology or increase costs.

"After all, great technology in cars stuck in showrooms serves little purpose. David understood this tension well," Bainwol said.

During his tenure, Strickland became a regular witness on Capitol Hill! , just last month advising lawmakers on self-driving vehicle technology. He has undertaken efforts to further reduce vehicle deaths and this month his agency unveiled a 5-year-long plan to improve driving safety for older drivers and passengers.

Early last year, Strickland came in for criticism from some Republican legislators who questioned why NHTSA had failed to tell members of one U.S. House committee about a June 2011 fire in a crash-tested Chevrolet Volt until October, when NHTSA made public its investigation.

As a centerpiece of GM's electric car strategy at a time the U.S. Treasury owned a huge stake in the company, critics questioned whether problems with the Volt may have been kept under wraps.

Strickland, at a 2012 hearing, held his ground, saying it would have been improper for him to discuss the fires before regulators determined there was reason enough to investigate if there was a risk to the public. The probe found the Volt as safe as any gasoline-powered vehicle on the road.

Earlier this year, Strickland announced new guidelines — voluntary until April 2016 — push automakers to balance in-car technology with concerns about distracted drivers.

Before joining NHTSA, Strickland served eight years on the staff off the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee as senior counsel for the Consumer Protection Subcommittee.