A sizeable increase in the number of alternatively fueled motor vehicles in the United States is expected, due to the focus by the Congress, the President, State governments, and various private interests on these vehicles as a means of reducing air pollution and conserving energy. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the United States Department of Transportation has undertaken a comprehensive program to assure the safe performance of these vehicles on the road and in crashes. This paper discusses the issues and potential approaches in the context of the agency’s statutory authority regarding alternatively fueled motor vehicle safety, the safety issues that are unique to these vehicles, and the agency’s current and potential future program direction in providing national safety leadership in this area.