Google Hires NHTSA’s Deputy Administrator

Ron Medford, a top highway safety regulator in the federal government, has been hired by Google Inc. to help it develop self-driving cars.

Medford, the deputy administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will depart in January to become director of safety for Google’s self-driving car program, a company spokesman said.

Medford oversaw many of NHTSA’s rulemaking efforts to mandate safety technology in cars and trucks.

Google has already completed 300,000 miles of autonomous testing with self-driving cars, the company said.