The automakers are Volkswagen and its luxury car division Audi, BMW, Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co, Mazda Motor Corp, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz, Tesla Motors Inc, Toyota Motor Corp and Volvo Car Group. “We are entering a new era of vehicle safety, focused on preventing crashes from ever occurring,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement Friday. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is overseeing the effort, said the collaborative agreement took shape over the last two weeks and that other car and truck manufacturers are still considering joining.