David L. Strickland

David L. Strickland is the fourteenth Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). As the country's top automotive safety official, Mr. Strickland is committed to supporting NHTSA's longstanding mission of reducing crash-related injuries and fatalities while ensuring the highest standards of safety on the nation's roadways. Since being sworn into office on January 4, 2010, Mr. Strickland has overseen the development of the first national fuel efficiency program, helped establish ejection mitigation requirements for automakers, and brought national public focus to child passenger safety issues including the threat of heat stroke from hot cars and back-over deaths and injuries.

Mr. Strickland oversees the broad range of vehicle safety and policymaking programs under NHTSA's jurisdiction — including setting vehicle safety standards, investigating possible safety defects, and tracking safety-related recalls; establishing and enforcing regulations on fuel economy; investigating odometer fraud and publishing vehicle theft data. He also leads the agency in its efforts to educate communities on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol, encouraging seat belt use, and addressing pedestrian safety concerns, among other issues. Under Mr. Strickland's leadership, NHTSA is spearheading innovative research and data analysis while providing states and community partners with a variety of resources critical to occupant protection and highway safety.

Prior to his appointment to NHTSA, Mr. Strickland served for eight years on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation as the Senior Counsel for the Consumer Protection Subcommittee. In that role, he was the lead staff person for the oversight of NHTSA, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. His advice to Commerce Committee members during their work on NHTSA's reauthorization in 2005 led to the inclusion of several significant vehicle safety mandates, including the electronic stability control mandate for every passenger vehicle. Mr. Strickland advised Congressional members on safety reforms and funding increases for NHTSA's seat-belt and drunk-driving grant programs and earned national recognition from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, who named him Congressional Staffer of the Year in 2004 for his role in making the driving public safer.

Mr. Strickland is a certified CPS seat technician and carries a valid motorcycle endorsement. Originally hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, he earned his J.D. degree from Harvard Law School and his B.S. degree in communication studies and political science from Northwestern University.

Mr. Strickland and his wife Robin currently live in Alexandria, Virginia.