NHTSA Staff Cuts Spark Concern Amid DOGE-Linked Workforce Reductions

April 10, 2025, 11:20 am

Two reports detail significant staffing cuts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s self‐driving division. Both articles note that these reductions are reportedly linked to measures associated with “DOGE,” affecting safety experts charged with overseeing automotive innovations like Tesla’s systems. The downsizing has raised alarms among regulators and industry watchers, who fear it may compromise oversight and the evolution of vehicle safety standards.

theregister.com / Self-driving car maker Musk's DOGE rocks up at self-driving car watchdog, cuts staff

A political team under audit is reported to have drafted government invoices, while in February, Elon Musk’s group—linked to Trump’s DOGE cost-cutting initiative—visited the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates his self-driving car projects.

theverge.com / NHTSA staffers evaluating the risks of self-driving cars were reportedly fired by DOGE

Elon Musk’s DOGE fired about 30 NHTSA employees in February, including many from the self-driving car risk assessment team, according to the Financial Times.

techcrunch.com / NHTSA’s self-driving safety staff reportedly ‘disproportionally affected’ by DOGE cuts

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cut NHTSA staff in February, disproportionately affecting vehicle automation safety workers—many of whom were probationary hires in a division formed in 2023.

arstechnica.com / Car safety experts at NHTSA, which regulates Tesla, axed by DOGE

Tesla has a lot riding on the swift success of its so-called Full Self-Driving software.

4 stories from 4 sources in 5 days ago ... #ai #automation #techpolicy #selfdriving #cryptocurrency

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NHTSA Staff Cuts Spark Concern Amid DOGE-Linked Workforce Reductions

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