Top NHTSA Official to Leave Agency

Heidi King, deputy administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is planning to leave the agency as soon as next week.

Staff Writer・Editorial

Read Staff's Posts

August 9, 2019

Top NHTSA Official to Leave Agency — Heidi King plans to leave NHTSA, which would leave the agency with its top two positions unfilled.
Photo via NHTSA.

1 min to read

Heidi King, deputy administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is planning to leave the agency as soon as next week, reports E&E News.

King is reportedly frustrated with her stalled confirmation to lead the agency. She has served as the de-facto top official since Mark Rosekind stepped down as administrator shortly before Trump's inauguration. Trump tapped King to lead NHTSA in April 2018, but her nomination has stalled in the Senate.

King has been the chief architect of Trump's plan to roll back Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards from Obama-era levels. NHTSA and the U.S. EPA are planning to freeze CAFE standards at 2020 levels through the 2026 model year. That would allow vehicles to drive 35 mpg on average by 2025 rather than the 50 mpg mandated by Obama.

Topics:Donald Trump NHTSA CAFE Standards Safety

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet

More Safety

A shot of a Volvo electric vehicle with a man charging it in front of a residence.

Top 50 Executive Fleets

It is that time of year again! Time for the 2026 list of the Top 50 Executive Fleets, presented by Automotive Fleet and Volvo as part of its annual Fleet 500. Download now to see this year's list of companies!

Promotional image announcing a partnership between TRUCE and Applause, featuring a driver’s hands on a steering wheel to represent connected fleet technology, driver safety, and mobile device management.

Safety•by News/Media Release•July 30, 2026

Applause & TRUCE Software Partner to Improve Driver Safety Through AI-Powered Telematics & Employee Performance Management

Applause has integrated TRUCE driving metrics directly into its employee-first performance and safety platform that transforms mobile devices into AI-powered telematics.

Work Truck “Trucks, Tips & Tours” promotional graphic featuring a vocational truck approaching a crash-test vehicle, highlighting Detroit Assurance collision mitigation technology with the headline “Collision Mitigation Explained.”

Safety•by Wayne Parham•July 21, 2026

How Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist Works

Do you want to see what it is like to experience Detroit Assurance’s Active Brake Assist? In this video, Work Truck will put you in the cab to see how it all works and then hear more details from DTNA’s Mike Young.

Black graphic with large white text reading “Stop Workplace Violence” framed by blue accent lines.

Safety•July 21, 2026

Get Left of Loss: A 5-Step Workplace Prevention Framework for Fleet Operators

Violence risks do not stop at the driver’s door. Learn five practical steps fleets can take to spot threats early and protect workers before loss occurs.

How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%

Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.