Self-driving car technologies just earned the support of two pretty senior U.S. officials: Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and President Barack Obama.

Foxx on Thursday announced a nearly $4 billion, 10-year plan to "accelerate the development and adoption of safe vehicle automation through real-world pilot projects." The investment is part of a plan Obama mentioned during his final State of the Union address earlier this week to build a "21st century transportation system."

If approved, the funds, earmarked in the President's proposed 2017 federal budget, will be used to carry out pilot programs to test connected vehicle systems in designated areas throughout the country over the next decade. The Obama administration also plans to work with auto makers and state government officials on a national policy for connected and autonomous vehicles.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Department is working to remove potential roadblocks that could slow down the technology, Foxx said. As part of a newly updated policy on autonomous vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) promised to work to determine the safety of these new technologies and eliminate any red tape standing in their way.

"We are on the cusp of a new era in automotive technology with enormous potential to save lives, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and transform mobility for the American people," Foxx said in a statement. "Today's actions and those we will pursue in the coming months will provide the foundation and the path forward for manufacturers, state officials, and consumers to use new technologies and achieve their full safety potential."

Meanwhile, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind promised that the agency is "using all of its available tools" to accelerate the deployment of autonomous vehicle technologies in the U.S.

"We will work with state partners toward creating a consistent national policy on these innovations, provide options now and into the future for manufacturers seeking to deploy autonomous vehicles, and keep our safety mission paramount at every stage," he said.

The announcement comes shortly after the release of data from Virginia Tech researchers, which found that self-driving cars are involved in 1.6 major accidents per one million miles, compared to 2.5 for cars driven by humans.