David Kelly will act as administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the White House announced last week. Kelly has been chief of staff to Administrator Nicole Nason, who abruptly left the agency, apparently for a private sector lobbying position.
Nason was criticised by safety advocates for her reductions in transparency, efficacy, and accountability at NHTSA, which develops, codifies, and enforces the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards.
Nason’s departure has never been formally announced.