FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Elizabeth Galicia/510-858-5448

WHITE HOUSE COMMITMENT TO SMART GUN TECHNOLOGY WILL LEAD TO SAFER COMMUNITIES

Smart gun technologies could prevent 20,000 misfires each year; government testing and procurement will provide proof of concept

April 29, 2016—Smart Tech Challenge Foundation, an organization committed to fostering innovation in smart-gun technology for safer communities, applauds new federal resources for testing and planned standards for smart guns. Building on the momentum of the 2013 Smart Tech for Firearms Challenge, which resulted in the funding of 15 smart gun innovators, the government’s plan to test smart guns in real-world conditions is a prudent and necessary next step in building a market for guns that won’t fall into the wrong hands.

Smart guns are part of a complex solution to the gun violence epidemic. Nearly 20,000 Americans are killed or injured from unintentional shootings and teen suicides each year—the majority of which could be prevented with reliable, proven smart gun technology.

“Smart Tech is encouraged by the federal government’s commitment to adopting safer, smarter technologies for firearms,” said Margot Hirsch, President of the Smart Tech Challenges Foundation. “Smart guns that meet the highest standards—of both safety and operability—can help prevent unintentional shootings and realize safer communities. We have seen first hand the promise of these technologies from our Challenge innovators who have much to contribute to the future of smart guns.”

A quarter million firearms are stolen every year, leading to injuries, deaths, and a strain on community trust and on law enforcement. “There is no quick fix,” said Hirsch. “We need a multifaceted approach—government support, entrepreneurial investment—plus focus and tenacity to bring technologies to market that will reduce injuries and save lives.”

A recent Johns Hopkins survey found that six in ten Americans want safer guns. This announcement gets us closer as a society to giving consumers the choice for reliable, proven, and affordable personalized firearms technology.

 

The Smart Tech Challenges Foundation was formed in 2013 with a mission to foster innovation in firearm safety. Through the incentive challenge model, the Smart Tech for Firearms Challenge granted $1 million to 15 innovators from around the globe developing user-authentication features for firearms.