There Auto Be A Law
By: Center for Auto Safety
Language: en
Categories: Leisure, Automotive, Technology
A discussion on auto safety issues and technological developments, in hopes of providing consumers and enthusiasts with a better understanding of modern vehicles, safety systems, and current issues in the auto industry.
Episodes
Moral Crumple Zones and the Magic of Autonomous Vehicles
Jan 08, 2026Happy New Year!
We're back discussing the reckless claim by Elon that you can text and drive, the magical claims from the Consumer Electronics show, the success of the NYC congestion pricing and if a company really made charging slower for coffee enjoyment. Much more and recalls.
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c783qd14zl7ohttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/01/mercedes-teaches-its-driver-assist-how-to-handle-surface-streets/https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/mbdrive-assist-pro-is-level-2-plushttps://insideevs.com/news/783380/first-production-ready-all-solid-state-battery-official-specs/https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/self-driving-cars/self-driving-cars-could-prevent-over-1-million-road-injuries-across-the-us-by-2035/ar-AA1TyBS8https://electrek.co/2026/01/04/convoy-electric-semi-brand-sany-pairs-autonomy-with-human-experience/https://www... Duration: 00:54:33Your robo-taxi won't clean itself, close it's door or tell you the truth.
Jan 01, 2026Happy New Year! We endured another year of Elon's lies, Waymo's PR team and the continuing AI nonsense. As the year is over we cover crown a winner for Gaslighter of the Year and make some predictions for 2026.
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https://junkoyoshidaparis.substack.com/p/waymo-dodgeball-dodge-duck-dip-divehttps://apnews.com/article/minnesota-kia-hyundai-theft-settlement-d2dc13dcee3fa65494d4df9f089dd386https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/24/tiktok-tea-tyme-hit-pedestrian-chicagohttps://www.carscoops.com/2025/12/fords-calling-out-congress-over-affordability-hearing-and-teslas-the-reason-why/https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/now-we-know-the-fee-for-puking-in-a-tesla-robotaxi/ar-AA1ThKcjhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V885-4683.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi... Duration: 01:04:04Waymo's Woes, Tesla's Troubles and more auto safety news.
Dec 25, 2025A power outage leaves Waymo's stranded physically and metaphorically as they, in our opinion, try to figure out who to blame. Tesla is finally told they cannot use the term "autopilot" to sell a feature that is not "autopilot". Uber doesn't seem to care if they hire criminals, New Hampshire thinks safety inspections are no longer needed and some Senators try to make autonomous vehicles stick to an operating design domain. Plus recalls.
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https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/22/us/waymo-san-francisco-power-earthquake.htmlhttps://www.sfchronicle... Duration: 01:07:23Pin the tail on the Bullshit
Dec 18, 2025NHTSA works to modernize safety standards for AVs Arizona might try adding speed inhibitors to cars of speeder, and Rivian goes more Tesla with talk of full autonomy. Waymo still can't handle school buses but they are watching their passengers give birth. Fred adds to the AV regulators checklist and we've got a couple of recalls.
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https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/modernizing-safety-standards-for-automated-vehicleshttps://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/10/31/arizona-to-consider-speed-limiting-devices-to-improve-road-safety/https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/news/2025/12/13/tesla-grok-ai-serious-concerns/87070442007/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/10/san-francisco-woman-gives-birth-in-waymohttps://abc7.com/post/los-angeles-viral-video-mom-daughter-find-stranger-trunk-waymo-macarthur-park/18286019/https://futurism... Duration: 01:01:43Waymo has the best PR
Dec 11, 2025The auto industry still doesn't like AEB and listeners have a cynical take on why. Waymo has the best PR and enlists a doctor/investor to carry water for them. And Waymo can't understand school bus stop signs in Texas. Maybe move some of that PR money to safety engineering? Elon encourages his customer to break the law and Hyundai has a unique recall.
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https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/president-trump-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-unveil-new-freedom-meanshttps://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/trump-fuel-economy-rollback-may-make-cars-cheaper-higher-gas-bills-will-absorb-2025-12-08/https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2025/12/05/trump-wants-u-s-carmakers-to-make-a-tiny-car-why-it-wont-happen/87602253007/https://electrek.co/2025/12/04/elon-musk-tesla-fsd-drivers-can-now-text-drive/https... Duration: 00:57:50Crash test dummy's, Congressional dummies and ohh look AI
Dec 04, 2025We start with the importance of proper child car seat fitting during winter coat season. Some progress is being made towards a "female" crash test dummy and Congress plays into the stereotype of being dummies by suggesting safety is too expensive. And the AI nonsense train rolls on.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/family-and-relationships/parenting/how-do-winter-coats-impact-your-child-s-car-seat-effectiveness/ar-AA1RtFwOhttps://www.npr.org/2025/11/21/g-s1-98694/crash-test-dummy-resembles-womenhttps://www.wsj.com/business/autos/senate-committee-to-challenge-auto-safety-mandates-that-hurt-affordability-43944765?https://www.jalopnik.com/2032529/new-york-wants-to-ban-car-subscriptions/https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-AI-Useful-Progress/dp/191739148X https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi... Duration: 01:07:52Re-run: Artificial Intelligence and Auto Safety with Phil Koopman – Part 2
Nov 27, 2025This is a re-run of an episode we did with Phil Koopman from last July. Still worthy of a listen. The original show notes are here:
https://www.autosafety.org/podcast/artificial-intelligence-and-auto-safety-with-phil-koopman-part-2/
Duration: 00:27:07Autonomous Ambitions or Delusions?
Nov 20, 2025Hawaii is using AI to enhance road safety while Telsa uses it to make dubious claims about the future and the lawsuits are continuing. Fred continues his long-distance romance with Waymo, California makes a lemon out it's lemon law and this week we have zero rear view camera recalls.
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https://apnews.com/article/ai-transportation-guardrails-potholes-hawaii-san-jose-9b34a62b2994177ece224a8ed9645577https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/10/confusion-over-slow-down-move-over-laws-puts-roadside-responders-at-risk/https://app.publicnewsservice.org/story/advocates-weakened-auto-lemon-law-hurts-consumers/dadd0e79-60ef-4a97-8b1b-e0ff9b549953https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/new-tesla-fsd-safety-datahttps://electrek.co/2025/10/29/tesla-robotaxis-keep-crashing-despite-safety-monitors/https... Duration: 01:04:34Hands free? Not safe for thee.
Nov 13, 2025Hands-free driving and driver-assist technologies get studied, Tesla makes claims, Fred pushes Waymo to provide more data. And recalls galore.
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https://news.mccombs.utexas.edu/research/driving-assistance-systems-could-backfire/https://www.cars.com/articles/hands-free-driving-tech-isnt-as-great-as-you-might-think-518276/https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/general/vehicle-safety-alerts-that-change-driver-habits-are-key-to-saving-lives/ar-AA1QdO3Khttps://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a69382722/ohio-senator-looks-up-democratic-colleagues-vin/https://www.autosafety.org/autonomous-vehicle-checklist/https://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/11/these-gm-vehicles-can-no-longer-download-apps-through-their-infotainment-system/https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/boston-weighs-clampdown-on-driverless-taxis-in-threat-to-waymo/ar-AA1Pqpi9https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V735-5129.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V741-6856.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa... Duration: 01:08:23The Ultimate Gaslight: Sudden Unintended Acceleration
Nov 06, 2025Phil Koopman joins us to win the Lifetime Achievement Award for Gaslight Nominee with Sudden Unintended Acceleration. From the Audi 5000 to Tesla, Phil walks us through the nonsense that it's always the humans fault and instead explains how bad hardware and software engineering has led to many of these dangerous situations.
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https://users.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/pubs/koopman18_safecomp.pdfhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKHa7rxkvK8https://www.safetyresearch.net/how-ford-concealed-evidence-of-electronically-caused-ua-and-what-it-means-today/https://www.autoevolution.com/news/nhtsa-has-yet-to-answer-the-petition-about-tesla-s-sua-events-but-where-are-they-251095.html Duration: 01:03:39Are other drivers safe? Warning other road users about your distractions.
Oct 30, 2025Anthony accidentally disconnected his airbag and counterfeit ones are coming in from China. GM is leaning more into it's Elon tendencies and promoting things that are not ready for prime time. Fred shares more of the Computer-Driven vehicle safety checklist and we've got recalls.
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https://www.autosafety.org/autonomous-vehicle-checklist/https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/chinese-air-bag-parts-have-exploded-and-killed-six-people-feds-are-now-seeking-answers-ab355c02https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/10/feds-probe-tesla-about-its-mad-max-mode/https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/performance-cars/these-are-the-only-2-places-on-earth-where-there-s-no-speed-limit/ar-AA1P39gFhttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/10/ai-and-hands-free-driving-are-coming-to-gms-vehicles/https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/waking-up-to-the-risks-of-drowsy-driving-and-the-solutions-at-handhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V695-4297... Duration: 01:02:13Breaking the law... and the AV's that get away with it.
Oct 23, 2025Waymo's ignores school bus stop signs and warnings, Tesla releases something called "Mad Max Mode" cause they are sociopaths and there is little oversight and regulation for these vehicles. IIHS explores the crash data around headlight glare and we dive into recalls.
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https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/us-investigates-waymo-robotaxis-over-safety-around-school-buses/ar-AA1OP2BDhttps://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/waymo-autonomous-vehicles-washington-dc-council-charles-allen-ddot-safety-study/65-470f58be-8c9d-4b5b-96fe-d831a9b1db50https://jacobin.com/2025/10/self-driving-cars-morrison-nhtsahttps://www.iihs.org/news/detail/headlight-complaints-abound-but-glare-related-crashes-havent-increasedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=d_apmcDJGS8https://www... Duration: 01:06:12Tesla Troubles and Secret The Communists Among Us
Oct 16, 2025Tesla gets another investigation from NHTSA... hopefully this will lead to better regulations before it's too late. China drafts a safety framework that is better than the US and Europe, we introduce our newest project which is helping lawmakers understand computer drivers and Toyota wins recalls.
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https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/10/tesla-fsd-gets-worse-at-driving-nhtsa-opens-new-investigation/https://www.cbtnews.com/senators-urge-safety-review-of-tesla-full-self-driving-system/https://carnewschina.com/2025/09/24/new-safety-requirements-for-vehicle-door-handles-released-for-public-comment-in-china/https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2025/7318493/figure-03/https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/autobrake-slashes-rear-end-crash-risk-associated-with-red-light-safety-camerashttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V668-0485.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V656-3686.pdfhttps... Duration: 01:03:08Zoox, Drunk Driving tech and those pesky door handles
Oct 09, 2025Zoox is asking to be free of safety regulations, Rivian realizes that copying Tesla's door handles is a bad idea, DC cracks down on traffic scofflaws with automated speed cameras and some weeny wants to remove the camera. Drunk driving detection should go mainstream, Waymo plays with stats and lots of recalls.
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https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/24/zoox-asks-federal-regulators-for-exemption-to-launch-a-commercial-robotaxi-service/https://www.autoblog.com/news/government-shutdown-chaos-why-americas-auto-industry-could-be-brought-to-its-kneeshttps://www.carscoops.com/2025/10/rivian-becomes-latest-automaker-to-rethink-high-tech-door-handles/https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/legal/automated-traffic-enforcement-cameras-brian-schwalb-scott-perry-steer-act-charles-allen-dangerous-drivers-speed-camera/65-390e2258-24d2-470f-9b4f-ce26c88f1999https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/sep/29/waymo-illegal-u-turn-driverless-carhttps://www.cbsnews... Duration: 01:03:23AV metrics and safety with Jeff Wishart
Oct 02, 2025This week we dive into automated driving systems and their need for metrics we can all understand with returning guest, Dr. Jeff Wishart. Jeff recently published a couple of articles focused on the dynamic driving task, modern convenience and safety features and how to better understand these for all in the industry. Hopefully, regulators will take note and use Jeff's work as a resource in their work.
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http://legacy.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/epr2025013/http://legacy.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/2025-01-8672/https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dmitri-dolgov_safety-in-action-as-another-car-pulls-into-activity-7370922904634445824-9ouC Duration: 01:01:25Everything you wanted to know about rear view cameras
Sep 25, 2025Fred's out this week. Phil Koopman is in and he educates Anthony on the complexity of rear view cameras. It's all about the Benjamin's. Mainly it's a cost thing, Plus recalls.
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https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2025/09/22/new-nhtsa-head-looks-forward-to-unleashing-american-innovation/https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/nhtsa-reports-sharp-drop-traffic-fatalities-first-half-2025https://insideevs.com/news/773202/volvo-ex90-software-issues/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V607-6198.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V595-0339.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V615-0768.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V611-3314.pdf Duration: 01:01:07Self driving trucks, Tesla's and trains and let's end arbitration
Sep 18, 2025Texas lawmakers are starting to re-think the whole no regulations for self driving trucks thing. Tesla's can't see railroad crossing's and NHTSA is investigating the electronic door handles. Plus recalls.
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https://www.dallasnews.com/news/transportation/2025/09/14/driverless-semis-are-taking-over-texas-roads-but-regulations-struggle-to-keep-pace/https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/electric-cars/tesla-doors-probed-by-us-regulator-after-trapping-occupants/ar-AA1MEnakhttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/09/flush-door-handles-are-the-car-industrys-latest-safety-problem/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-musk/tesla-full-self-driving-fails-train-crossings-drivers-warn-railroad-rcna225558https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/a-strange-gas-pumping-defect-is-making-100-000-corvettes-go-up-in-flames-61d86797https://hankjohnson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-johnson-sen-blumenthal-re-introduce-legislation-end-forced-0https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/traffic-and-transportation-incidents/waymo-2-other-vehicles-in-deadly-crash-near-asu-tempe/ar-AA1MxNW2https://www.wsj... Duration: 01:07:21Does your AV need a windsheild? And do you need shoes?
Sep 11, 2025Reality TV personality and head of the DOT updates autonomous vehicle regulations to, um, stop our adversaries. BMW and Qualcomm team up for some word soup, Anthony wants a grappler, Tesla spouts nonsense and ARK investments laps it up plus more rear view cameras get recalled.
Donate for freedom! And because it's good for you.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/av-framework-plan-modernize-safety-standardshttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/09/polestar-unveils-electric-gt-rival-to-the-porsche-taycan/https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/more-localities-look-at-speed-from-a-pedestrians-point-of-viewhttps://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/american-driving-survey.htmlhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/would-you-trust-ai-to-tighten-your-seatbelt-volvo-thinks-you-should/ar-AA1M1V2uhttps://www.forbes.com/advisor/legal... Duration: 01:10:08Tesla's data problem, rental car safety and police chases
Sep 04, 2025We dig more into Tesla "hiding" data from their owners and gently ask Tesla's software engineers to not be sociopaths and end this practice. Is your rental car safe? Is Waymo delusion for trying to move into New York City? Is Ford going to recall all the cars? That and more in this weeks episode.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/08/29/tesla-autopilot-crashes-evidence-testimony-wrongful-death/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/31/park-police-car-chases/https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/man-escapes-car-fire-while-214614761.htmlhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherelliott/2025/08/30/why-your-rental-car-might-not-be-as-safe-as-you-think/https://insideevs.com/news/770586/waymo-tesla-robotaxi-wars-ev/https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/67... Duration: 01:06:07Subscribe to this podcast or subscribe to your car?
Aug 28, 2025Advanced Driver Assistance Systems require human intervention or drivers in other cars need to better? VW has a ridiculous idea - make people pay a subscription fee to use the full capabilities of their car. Fred exposes ChatGPT has a nonsense machine, Elon Musk spouts more nonsense and we cover the latest in recalls.
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https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/08/27/upshot/ev-vs-gas-calculator.htmlhttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/08/study-shows-which-vehicles-pollute-the-least-in-every-us-county/https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/08/active-driving-assistance/https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/subaru-owners-see-value-in-driver-attention-systemhttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62weyp4qqgohttps://www.msn.com/en-za/cars/general/unfair-competition-worries-about-european-road-safety-after-eu-us-trade-agreement/ar-AA1LbIUihttps... Duration: 01:08:24Mike Nelson Returns: Unpacking Auto Safety Challenges
Aug 21, 2025We are joined by guest Mike Nelson from Nelson Law. Despite advanced safety technologies, over 40,000 traffic fatalities still occur annually. Mike Nelson highlights four main contributors to the problem: speed, distraction, impairment, and vehicle weight. Plus product liability, who owns your vehicle data and will Fred mow your lawn?
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Check out some of Mike Nelson's podcast episodes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwidtZRWZUo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PRCZnXOqd8
Duration: 01:05:38Zoox, Tesla and Waymo. Oh my.
Aug 14, 2025Zoox gets an exemption from NHTSA, you can steal a car by hacking the tire pressure monitor, when you ride in a Waymo you agree to defend Waymo, Tesla keeps on Tesla'ing and GM wants to bring back Cruise. That and recalls.
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This weeks links:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/federal-regulators-give-zoox-an-exemption-for-its-custom-built-robotaxis/ar-AA1K2hi3https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/gm-restarts-driverless-car-program-more-than-a-year-after-cruise-robotaxi-incident/ar-AA1KlhVDhttps://www.wsj.com/articles/lyft-bets-on-robotaxis-to-drive-revenue-growth-51e4ff36https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/08/tesla-robotaxi-scores-permit-to-run-ride-hailing-service-in-texas.htmlhttps://electrek.co/2025/08/06/us-military-buying-tesla-cybertruck-targets-missiles/https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/consumer-electronics... Duration: 01:03:58Tesla lies, coverups and expanded nonsense
Aug 07, 2025We start with the Tesla courtcase, revealing the company's attempts to withhold crucial autopilot crash data. The discussion expands to Tesla's hazardous software designs and Elon Musk's outrageous claims about future features. Additionally, topics cover the rising issue of sexual misconduct in ride-sharing services, the shocking inefficacy of autonomous vehicles in improving safety, and sobering comparisons of annual road deaths to historical tragedies. Finally, a rundown of the latest car recalls rounds out the intense conversation on auto safety and corporate ethics.
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Links:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/08/01/tesla-found-partially-liable-fatal-2019-crash-involving-driver-assistance-technology-jury-orders-200-million-damages... Duration: 01:07:26Kissing Tesla's Butt and the end of the EPA
Jul 31, 2025The EPA is trying to eliminate itself, more on Tesla in Austin and SF with a special shout-out to the bootlickers at Munro. Congressman Fong is Wrong when it comes to AV safety. Ford is still trying to improve safety and Toronto is considering making the roads more dangerous for cyclists. That and more.
Show your support
This weeks links:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/07/29/epa-endangerment-finding-clean-air-act/https://saferoads.org/july-2025-acmv-av-bills/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/world/canada/bike-lanes-toronto.htmlhttps://nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/07/28/six-inane-arguments-eric-adams-is-using-to-defend-ripping-up-the-bedford-ave-bike-lanehttps://electrek.co/2025/07/25/tesla-launch-robotaxi-bay-area-but-with-someone-drivers-seat/https://junkoyoshidaparis.substack.com... Duration: 01:07:21Tesla on trial, Rollerskates and Robo Taxis
Jul 24, 2025California looks to suspend Tesla sales and a trial in Florida looks to suspend their danger. The CEO of Waymo says she loves to roller-skate so Waymo's are safe for pedestrians, Volvo has some infotainment issues, Ford has problematic fuel injectors and NHTSA's small staff becomes even smaller.
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This weeks links:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/22/tesla-california-dmv-autopilot/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/07/experts-lay-into-tesla-safety-in-federal-autopilot-trial/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/tesla-fights-two-court-battles-over-claims-it-misled-consumers-about-automated-driving/ar-AA1J3DFehttps://fortune.com/2025/07/20/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-service-austin-scaling-earnings-car-sales/https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/us-auto-safety-agency-shedding-more-than-25-employees-2025-07-17/https://www.cleveland... Duration: 01:07:45Fatalities down, Elon lies and blind spots are a big problem
Jul 17, 2025Traffic fatalities have seen a notable decline, with the first quarter of 2023 recording the lowest rate in six years. Cars keep getting bigger blindsports, auto engineers do not want to do normative safety requirements and Ford wins the recall prize. And HSBC validates Anthony's robotaxi suspicion.
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This weeks links:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/traffic-fatalities-decreased-first-quarter-2025https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/poor-mental-health-police-cuts-fueled-pandemic-spike-in-impaired-driving-deathshttps://www.fastcompany.com/91363061/driver-blind-spots-are-getting-bigger-blame-new-car-designhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/us-auto-safety-nominee-calls-for-active-oversight-of-self-driving-cars/ar-AA1IFp79https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/behind-the-bipartisan-push-for-female-crash-test-dummies/ar-AA1IA3HDhttps://arxiv.org/pdf/2505.09880https://www.msn.com... Duration: 01:06:46New NHTSA, same as the old NHTSA?
Jul 10, 2025Fred's back and shares his tales of safety from Germany. NHTSA has some hearings and will probably roll over for industry demands instead of safety needs. Waymo doors a cyclists, Tesla is probably not full autonomous with it's robo-taxi's and recalls.
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This weeks links:
https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/67ee2ad971d86c70d02ed03f/683802d318db2c77d4ce3d43_2025_StateOfAV_AnnualReport_Web.pdfhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/09/new-york-city-congestion-pricing-trumphttps://www.carsandhorsepower.com/featured/your-fancy-car-s-touchscreen-is-worse-than-buttons-and-studies-prove-ithttps://www.cbtnews.com/automakers-demand-urgent-nhtsa-overhaul/https://electrek.co/2025/06/30/ford-ceo-shuts-down-tesla-full-self-driving-deal-says-waymo-is-better/https... Duration: 01:07:46Artificial Intelligence and Auto Safety with Phil Koopman – Part 2
Jul 03, 2025We're back with Phil Koopman to continue our discussion about AI and Auto Safety. Phil walks us through four crucial areas: safety engineering, security, machine learning, and human factors. Can large language models be used for safety? How do we acknowledge robot drivers? When does Fred return? All that and more in this episode.
Donate for Safety.
More from Phil over at Substack.
Duration: 00:26:45Artificial Intelligence and Auto Safety with Phil Koopman - Part 1
Jun 26, 2025Hey Folks,
Fred it out for the next couple of weeks. In his place we sit down for an in-depth chat with Phil Koopman to discuss artificial intelligence and auto safety. Enjoy.
Support the Show. Support Safety.
This weeks links:
https://www.autosafety.org/podcast/part-1-with-philip-koopman-and-william-h-widen/https://www.autosafety.org/podcast/part-2-with-philip-koopman-and-william-h-widen/https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/a-practical-list-of-embodied-ai-safety-b23 Duration: 00:29:43Volcano of Innovation
Jun 19, 2025Hazardous robo-taxis, the government's role in safeguarding—or failing to safeguard—the public and how to draw your own crosswalk is the TLDR. Bloomberg reporter Steve Man becomes an PR flak for Tesla, Sean P. Duffy updates the part 555 exemption process (also known as, Look ma, no pedals), Mitsubishi gets into battery swapping and recalls galore.
Donate if you like Fred.
This weeks links:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/streamline-exemption-process-noncomplianthttps://electrek.co/2025/06/16/bloomberg-most-embarassing-report-tesla-waymo-self-driving/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyuOQeaJZSkhttps://electrek.co/2025/06/14/mitsubishi-debuts-ev-battery-swap-network-for-cars-and-trucks-in-tokyo/https://www.29news.com/2025/05/22/charlottesville-activist-facing-vandalism-charges-makeshift-crosswalk/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/06/smart-tires-will-report-on-the-health-of-roads-in-new-pilot-program/https://www... Duration: 00:58:46Pollution is the new standard
Jun 12, 2025Tesla is trying to hide their crash data, Sean P Duffy doesn't enjoy clean air and wouldn't it be great if safety standards were set globally? Plus recalls, EV fires on ships, the WSJ spouts nonsense and so does Waymo.
Support the show!
This weeks links:
https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-announces-key-step-toward-making-carshttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/06/gop-intensifies-war-against-evs-and-efficient-cars/https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/autonomous-farming-agriculture-equipment-california/3878319/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-08/waymo-vehicles-set-on-fire-protesters-police-clashhttps://newatlas.com/automotive/volvo-adaptive-seatbelt/https://www.thedrive.com/news/elon-musks-tesla-cries-competitive-harm-over-self-driving-crash-data-disclosurehttps://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/tesla-tries-to-block-access-to-public-records-ahead-of-austin-robotaxi-launch/ar-AA1Gh4z0https://www... Duration: 01:01:29The Big Beautiful Bill and why are AV's on the road?
Jun 05, 2025The Orange one has a big beautiful bill that no one seems to have read and undermines states to create their own rules around AI. This is not good for safety and a whole bunch of other reasons. Tesla is going to release their robo-taxi's... popcorn at the ready. And no one can seem to make a rear-view camera system that works.
Donate for safety!
This weeks links:
https://www.techpolicy.press/the-big-beautiful-bill-could-decimate-legal-accountability-for-tech-and-anything-tech-touches/https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-house-reconciliation-bill-s-ai-preemption-clearly-violates-the-byrd-rulehttps://electrek.co/2025/06/03/tesla-tsla-sales-continue-crash-europe-clings-fluke-norway/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/03/nyregion/tesla-chargers-new-jersey-turnpike.htmlhttps://electrek.co/2025/05/23/tesla-full-self-driving-veers-off-road-flips-car-scary-crash-driver-couldnt-prevent/https://electrek... Duration: 01:07:04Lightning strikes, MPG and wrong turn signals
May 22, 2025Uh oh they are lowering corporate average fuel economy standards under the Trump administration and blame it on a fake news EV mandate. Aurora Innovation's driverless semi-trucks go old school and bring back meat computers (aka Human Safety Drivers). Ford dominates recalls and more.
Donate for safety!
This weeks links:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/us-expected-to-declare-biden-fuel-economy-rules-exceeded-legal-authority/ar-AA1F91lGhttps://www.wsj.com/business/autos/california-ev-mandate-auto-industry-64708033https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/why-cars-in-the-us-have-red-turn-signals-but-other-countries-use-amber/ar-AA1F4jtzhttps://www.ttnews.com/articles/aurora-driver-back-in-seathttps://gizmodo.com/apples-new-carplay-ultra-wont-fix-the-biggest-problem-of-phone-connected-cars-2000602761https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/we-put-teslas-fsd-and-waymos-robotaxi-to-the-test-one-shocking-mistake-made-the-winner-clear... Duration: 01:06:19Robo-Taxi's and NHTSA asks Tesla some good questions
May 15, 2025NHTSA has questions about Tesla's robo-taxi and we pretty much have the same exact questions. Waymo makes the gaslight again and they get a recall too. Plus an update on New York's congestion pricing and recalls.
Support the show.
This weeks links:
https://electrek.co/2025/05/12/nhtsa-tesla-how-release-robotaxi-service-based-on-fsd/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2024/INIM-PE24031-62887.pdfhttps://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/12/opinion/letters-to-the-editor-tesla-is-not-too-important-to-fail/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/05/02/opinion/tesla-evs-musk-new-ceo/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/05/11/upshot/congestion-pricing.htmlhttps://www.autoguide.com/auto/new-car-shopping-2/cars-from-these-brands-are-involved-in-more-accidents-44619526https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/health-and-safety-alerts/connecticut-leaders-warn-about-dangers-of-hot-cars/ar-AA1EBEIqhttps://www.msn.com/en-gb... Duration: 01:01:02Jeff Wishart levels with us about safety
May 08, 2025This week we discuss the development and evaluation of automated vehicles (AVs) with special guest Jeff Wishart. We learn to differentiate between Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) for AVs and SAE's driving automation levels. Plus recalls.
support the show!
This weeks links:
https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/2025-01-8671/https://www.gao.gov/assets/710/706680.pdfhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/accident-analysis-and-prevention/vol/207/suppl/Chttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25E029-4731.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V280-2880.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V269-3442.PDF Duration: 00:52:28NHTSA, Jeff Bezos and Redundancy... again.
May 01, 2025NHTSA updates the standing general order for ADAS interventions and amazingly this helps Tesla. Jeff Bezo's starts an electric truck company, electronic door handles still need a manual override, Fred repeats himself in the Tao and we've got recalls.
Support the show!
This weeks links:
https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-unveils-new-automated-vehicle-frameworkhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/trump-updates-biden-s-robo-car-crash-reporting-rule-to-benefit-tesla/ar-AA1DyXJjhttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-wants-to-sell-a-bare-bones-ev-truck-for-20000/https://www.thestar.com/life/autos/technology-in-cars-is-being-used-to-make-choices-for-drivers-and-this-can-be/article_f835de30-f450-11ef-ad43-434b0d197953.htmlhttps://gothamist.com/news/feds-accidentally-publish-secret-plan-to-kill-nyc-congestion-pricinghttps://electrek.co/2025/04/28/ny-lawmakers-shut-down-teslas-stores/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025... Duration: 01:07:56Tesla fails, congestion pricing wins.
Apr 24, 2025People don't want to buy Tesla's anymore and their earnings show it but fanboi's keep buying the stock cause they keep believing the same lies Elon has been spouting since at least 2016. When is a car company a cult? In more Tesla news a former engineer exposes Elon for not working that hard, regulators don't give into his bullying and the lawsuits keep coming. Canada needs to work on their own safety regulations, congestion pricing in New York City is a resounding success unless... you don't live in New York City or travel to New York City then it's...
Duration: 00:56:50Tariffs, Tesla and Transit
Apr 17, 2025Trump's auto tariffs will make new cars cost more, old cars more expensive to repair and maintain and increase your insurance rates. A new lawsuit alleges that Telsa might be tampering with it's odometers. Public transit is safer in all metrics than driving. Fred explains why objects may be closer and we've got recalls.
Support the show!
This weeks links:
https://www.wsj.com/personal-finance/tariffs-buying-cars-ownership-expensive-a2a0b614https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-public-transit-really-safer-than-driving/https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/04/key-takeaways-california-deadly-drivers/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/car-safety-experts-at-nhtsa-which-regulates-tesla-axed-by-doge/https://electrek.co/2025/04/14/tesla-tsla-replace-computer-4-million-cars-or-compensate-their-owners/https://www.thestreet.com/automotive... Duration: 01:01:33Distracted Driving Month and better safety tech
Apr 10, 2025It's NHTSA's distracted driving month. On the plus side fatalities are down but not by much. Intelligent Speed Assist, driver monitoring and better driving tech can help save lives today but instead billions are spent on robo-taxis.
Tesla dealers are backlogged because people don't want to buy them, Waymo can't navigate a drive-thru, one con man pardons another con man and Ford tops this weeks recalls.
Donate to support the show.
This weeks links:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/distracted-drivinghttps://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/04/do-smartphone-apps-hold-the-key-to-safer-drivers/https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsbirmingham/major-car-maker-reducing-speed-limit-of-popular-motor-to-68... Duration: 01:03:22Liberate you from safety!
Apr 03, 2025Happy Liberation Day! Now cars will be more expensive, older cars will with older safety tech will stay on the road longer possibly making everyone a little less safe.
Tesla might be attempting to game the Canadian EV rebate system (or they sold two cars every minute one weekend), Auroa wants to set its driver-less 18 wheeler's free, Waymo is today's gaslight winner and Fred jumps into Gaussian Splatter - it might be a Jackson Pollack competitor. Plus recalls.
Support the show!
This weeks links:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/world/canada/tesla-canada-sales-musk.htmlhttps... Duration: 00:56:49Ask a Canadian with George Iny
Mar 27, 2025This week we are joined from Canada by George Iny from the Automobile Protection Association. George let's us ask all of our Canadian focused questions and we compare and contrast the difference between auto safety standards. And have you heard of public auto insurance? Why can't we have that in the US? Lastly, the Cybertruck is still garbage.
This week links:
https://www.apa.ca/en/https://electrek.co/2025/03/25/tesla-banned-canada-ev-rebate-program-gov-freezes-suspicous-43-million-rebates/https://tc.canada.ca/en/road-transportation/statistics-data/canadian-motor-vehicle-traffic-collision-statistics-2022https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V170-9407.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V173... Duration: 00:55:41AV's: An Attractive Nuisance
Mar 20, 2025Tesla protests, criticism of Tesla's autopilot and Full Self Driving and Cybertrucks that are coming apart. Waymo is racking up the parking tickets and still doesn't have a viable business model. GM puts another 9,000 pound sociopath on the road and cannabis doesn't not make you a good driver. That and more in this weeks episode.
This weeks links:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/19/deeply-concerned-crash-victims-families-ask-dot-not-to-water-down-tesla-oversight-00236890https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2025/03/18/automakers-trump-administration-self-driving-cars/82518790007/https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/zoox-amazon-self-driving-taxi-san-francisco-e9d9219dhttps://electrek.co/2025/03/13/tesla-cybertruck-deliveries-are-on-hold-as-trims-are-flying-off-the-bulletproof-truck/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/03/the-2025-cadillac-escalade-iq-first-drive-460-miles-on-a-single-charge/https://www.youtube.com/watch... Duration: 01:03:29Life in the fast lane... it's not great.
Mar 13, 2025Ever race down a city street or do donuts on a salt flat? Me neither but car commercials make it look like we should be doing this. Consumers are not liking some new car tech, like electronic door handles, but like built-in vacuums (this is a thing?). These topics and more.
This weeks links:
https://powertripfilm.com/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/03/11/trump-musk-tesla-white-house/https://www.carscoops.com/2025/03/autonomous-mercedes-will-showcase-turquoise-lights-when-drive-pilot-is-used-in-germany/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-ants-may-save-you-from-future-traffic-jams/https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/drivers-high-tech-cars-preferences-28ab9584https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/03/11/zoox-autonomous-nhtsa-safety/https://www.jalopnik.com/1805957/cybertruck-owner-writes-congressman-telsa-hate/https://static.nhtsa... Duration: 00:59:09Tarrifs, Chinese AV regulations and road safety
Mar 06, 2025How will tariffs affect auto industry safety? Less new car sales equals less newer safety tech on the road. China is enforcing tighter controls on over-the-air (OTA) updates compared to the U.S.'s 'wild west' approach. Plus a flying car, a cybertruck that wants to die and recalls from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen.
This weeks links:
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/03/nx-s1-5316162/trump-tariffs-canada-mexico-cars-auto-industryhttps://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/feb/22/sustainable-transport-development-road-deaths-un-urban-planninghttps://www.theverge.com/news/621990/autonomous-speed-record-indy-challenge-maseratihttps://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/doge-job-cuts-will-slow-down-robotaxi-rollout-says-fired-federal-worker/ar-AA1A8n3khttps://www.just-auto.com/news/china-regulations-autonomous/?cf-viewhttps://www.devdiscourse.com/article/technology/3281260... Duration: 01:00:19What's the difference between Waymo and the Titanic?
Feb 27, 2025This week we discuss recent layoffs at NHTSA, Fred compares Waymo to the Titanic, Renault releases a fire fighting tool for EV's and recalls.
Support the show.
This weeks links:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/us-auto-safety-agency-that-s-probing-tesla-cuts-4-of-staff/ar-AA1zGAUihttps://www.azcentral.com/story/money/cars/2025/02/20/stellantis-self-driving-autodrive-watch-movies/79334466007/https://media.renaultgroup.com/fireman-access-an-exclusive-innovation-by-renault-group-is-now-available-with-a-free-licence/https://www.jalopnik.com/1798210/mercedes-starts-testing-solid-state-batteries-with-huge-range-gains/https://www.ttnews.com/articles/autonomous-trucking-driverlesshttps://www.printwand.com/blog/how-unsinkable-marketing-campaign-led-titanic-disasterhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-dc-region-is-twice-as-deadly-for-pedestrians-as-a-decade-ago/ar-AA1zBFXkhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V098-4966.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V085... Duration: 01:04:14Driving on Thin Ice: Musketeers vs. Safety Advocates
Feb 20, 2025Jonathan Morrison won the job as new the NHTSA administrator. I hope he cares about safety or dangers... like those posed by oversized vehicles. Jeep is now displaying pop-up ads in your car. Fun. And we have recalls.
This weeks links:
https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/12/trump-picks-apple-exec-to-lead-transportation-safety-agency/?guccounter=1https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/supersizing-vehicles-offers-minimal-safety-benefits--but-substantial-dangershttps://www.iihs.org/news/detail/automakers-make-big-strides-in-front-crash-preventionhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/02/hands-free-driving-interstate/https://sfstandard.com/2024/08/22/waymo-parents-kids-in-robotaxis/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/report-cybertruck-safety-ford-pinto/https://techstory.in/stellantis-introduces-pop-up-ads-in-vehicles-sparking-outrage-among-owners/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V060-8914.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V059-6496... Duration: 01:01:05Start your own robo-taxi company with Phil Koopman
Feb 13, 2025We continue our discuss with Phil Koopman from Carnegie Mellon University. What is safety? How easy is it start your own robo-taxi company? Why Waymo's safety claims are short about a billion miles of data and more.
Like guests like Phil? Donate so we can continue getting more great guests.
This weeks links:
https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/statistically-safer-autonomous-vehicleshttps://philkoopman.substack.com/p/unregulated-cybercabs-in-five-easyhttps://ojoyoshidareport.com/when-where-and-how-ai-should-be-applied/https://safeautonomy.blogspot.com/p/safe-autonomy.html Duration: 01:06:22Phil Koopman, Autonomous Vehicle Safety and Tesla's hidden door handles
Feb 06, 2025Phil Koopman comes back to the show for a 2 part episode. During this first one we discuss the dangers of Tesla's electronic door latches, the lack of federal regulations covering these safety gaps, and the broader implications for emerging vehicle technologies.
Then SAE and those levels... Phil summarizes this nicely.
This weeks links:
https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/people-are-still-being-burned-alivehttps://safeautonomy.blogspot.com/2021/11/regulating-AVs-with-human-drivers.htmlhttps://philkoopman.substack.com/p/time-to-formally-define-level-2-vehicle-196https://www.jurist.org/commentary/2023/08/widen-koopman-automated-vehicles-criminal-law/ Duration: 00:56:27AEB works today, traffic cameras and a collander for your car?
Jan 30, 2025Hi folks,
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and its impending regulations is our first topic. AEB works but the industry shill fights against it. Subaru gets hacked (and they are tracking you), traffic cameras in NYC reveal some marital issues, Vietnam and Norway have excessive (?) but interesting (?) fines for traffic violations and recalls.
Donate to keep the show going.
This weeks links:
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/trump-administration-reviewing-us-automatic-emergency-braking-rule-2025-01-24/https://www.wired.com/story/emergency-braking-will-save-lives-automakers-want-to-charge-extra-for-it/https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/5110890-sean-duffy-transportation-secretary/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/01/trumps-new-head-of-dot-rips-up-us-fuel-efficiency-regulations/https://www.autoevolution.com/news... Duration: 01:05:06Automakers resist safety, Tesla resists common sense
Jan 23, 2025Automakers are still complaining that Automatic Emergency Braking is too impossible... while admitting that at least one Toyota already meets the new standard. The law and law enforcement is struggling with marijuana impaired driving. And Tesla makes it next to impossible to escape from one of their vehicles if they are on fire. Plus recalls.
Donate!
This weeks links:
https://www.autosinnovate.org/posts/press-release/automakers-seek-repeal-of-biden-dot-flawed-aeb-rulehttps://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/nhtsa-orders-engineering-analysis-of-ford-bluecruise-after-crashes/ar-AA1xxpxahttps://www.autosafety.org/veterans-teachers-public-health-professionals-consumer-advocates-and-watchdog-groups-file-suit-challenging-the-doges-secret-operations/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/01/us/marijuana-driving-impairment.htmlhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/urban-infrastructure/transportation-infrastructure/ants-never-overtake-have-smart-traffic-sense-could-solve-urban-transport-challenges/ar-AA1... Duration: 00:56:27What is a safety? Waymo don't know.
Jan 16, 2025Howdy,
Lots to cover this week and we barely make a dent.
New York City's congestion pricing and its effects on traffic and pollution;Self driving cars still lacking in data transparency, safety standards, and industry practices;Waymo, the boondoggle at Google?Safety is defined as 'absence of unreasonable risk' and this is nonsense;Telsa recalls and the Cybertruck gets a lot in it's first year;and moreLinks:
https://www.wsj.com/us-news/nyc-congestion-pricing-traffic-update-e31e638ahttps://www.iihs.org/news/detail/high-visibility-clothing-may-thwart-pedestrian-crash-prevention-sensorshttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-09/san-francisco-s-robotaxi-takeover-as-seen-from-city-hallhttps://www.washingtonpost.com... Duration: 01:07:21Missy Cummings: Insights into Self-Driving Tech and Safety
Jan 09, 2025This week we are joined by Missy Cummings, Director of George Mason University's Autonomy and Robotics Center. Missy walks us through the safety concerns with self driving cars based on your research, talks about the definition of 'safe enough', how laughable remote operations are and lack of functional safety testing.
This episode underscores the urgent need for both state and federal regulations to improve safety standards and accountability for autonomous vehicles.
Links
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=10778107https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/30/waymo-pedestrians-robotaxi-crosswalks/https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/https://apnews... Duration: 00:55:41Waymo, Whistleblowers, and the Return of Bench Seats
Dec 19, 2024NHTSA is wrapping up the new year with new rules for whistleblowers, event data recorders and seatbelt warnings. Waymo is the highlight for the 'Gaslight of the Week' due to misleading safety certifications for its autonomous vehicle program. Donald Trump is likely to scrap a rule on crash reporting for autonomous vehicles. Bench seats might be coming back. And recent automotive recalls and potential cybersecurity threats associated with software-defined vehicles.
Donate to support this podcasthttps://www.wsj.com/articles/top-u-s-auto-safety-regulator-finalizes-whistleblower-program-rules-bd13316chttps://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/nhtsa-finalizes-seat-belt-reminder-rule-increase-seat-belt-use-improve-occupanthttps://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-29862.pdfhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/money... Duration: 01:03:36Cruise runs out of juice and car jackers need to check the backseat
Dec 12, 2024GM finally listened to us and/or did some basic math and realized that GM Cruise was a dumpster fire that needed to be extinguished. Imagine what they could have done with the $10 Billion they squandered.
A recent AAA survey covers risky driver behaviors and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's findings that vehicle height increases pedestrian injury severity. Consumer Reports' reliability and owner satisfaction surveys show that Rivians are unreliable but make their owners happy. And troubling statistics from Kids in Car Safety about cars stolen with children inside.
Join the Fight for Safer...
Duration: 00:59:55Partially Automated Failings and Remote Controlled Robo-Taxi's
Dec 05, 2024This episode delves into the effectiveness of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in keeping drivers engaged, the risks posed by partial automation, and the need for regulatory oversight. We highlight issues with Tesla's approach to autonomous driving, including its reliance on remote operators. Recalls for vehicles from Pagani, GM, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche are discussed, emphasizing ongoing problems like water intrusion and rearview camera failures. The episode closes with listener mail addressing seatbelt comfort for short women and a general call for improved vehicle safety features.
Links:
https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/https://www.iihs.org... Duration: 01:01:13Top Ten Lists: Tesla Turkeys and NHSTA's last stand?
Nov 28, 2024Happy Thanksgiving listeners!
This week we share our top ten things we are thankful for in car safety. Highlights include the Tesla Cybertruck and full self-driving technology, NHTSA's recent improvements and penalties, and shout-outs to people and organizations contributing to automotive safety such as the anonymous engineers that make cars safer.
Links:
https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/debunking-tesla-safest-car-on-the?r=1tnaed&triedRedirect=truehttps://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/nhtsa-releases-2024-early-estimates-decrease-traffic-fatalitieshttps://www.torquenews.com/17995/five-ways-prevent-your-tesla-killing-youhttps://www.aol.com/finance/gen-z-might-safest-generation-174820842.htmlhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCAK-24V868-3172.pdfhttps://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2024-27349.pdfhttps... Duration: 00:42:50Elon's Escape Room: Can You Get Out of a Flaming Tesla?
Nov 21, 2024Topics:
Kudos to NHTSA for NCAP improvements;Frowns to Ford for recalls;New DOT secretary;Will Washington rubber stamp all of Elon's dreams?Tesla drivers are dangerous;Tesla's will trap you in a fire;Renewable natural gas explained;Recall roundup;Links:
https://apnews.com/article/automobile-safety-nhtsa-crash-pedestrian-2fc22f755c51bfe9bb668f90e8ee8956https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2024/11/16/nhtsa-pedestrian-safety-rule-vehicle-design-head-protection/76094618007/https://apnews.com/article/trump-duffy-cabinet-transportation-secretary-c465bbc516b5f898233f86bee31a7a45https://www.freep.com/story/news/investigations/2024/11/14/nhtsa-ford-vehicle-recall-rules-penalty/76293055007/https://jalopnik.com/teslas-are-the-most-fatal-cars-on-the-road-study-finds-1851700691https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/people-are-still-being-burned-alivehttps://www.catf... Duration: 01:04:35The Chronicles of Auto-Infamy: Drowsy, Distracted, and a Dash of Rust
Nov 14, 2024Topics:
Rivian and Volkswagen join forces;NHTSA kinda sorta asks Tesla to clear up it's communications around cars that drive themselves;What will Elon's department of efficiency mean for auto safety?Fred deep dives into duty of care with a focus on hazard mitigation;Recalls and rusting cybertrucks;and moreLinks:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/12/business/volkswagen-rivian-electric-vehicles.htmlhttps://www.autosafety.org/us-agency-says-teslas-public-statements-imply-that-its-vehicles-can-drive-themselves-they-cant/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/13/department-of-government-efficiency-musk-ramaswamy/https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gm-bicyclist-alert-technology-standard-110315432.htmlhttps://insideevs.com/news/740529/hyundai-touchscreen-physical-buttons/https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/california-agency-boosts-reporting-requirements-for-autonomous-vehicle-incidents/ar-AA1tHGEohttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024... Duration: 01:05:43Auto Safety in an Unregulated World and Headlights Too Bright
Nov 07, 2024Deep breaths... Hummer EV, what the election means for NHTSA, regulations and everything related to safety. Are LED headlights too brights? Zoox and Tesla have a spat. It's a new world.
This weeks links:
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/11/driving-the-biggest-least-efficient-electric-car-the-hummer-ev-suv/https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/2/24285399/amazon-zoox-robotaxi-nhtsa-fmvss-complyhttps://electrek.co/2024/10/31/elon-musk-snaps-at-zoox-co-founder-over-critical-tesla-fsd-comments/https://electrek.co/2024/11/04/tesla-updated-its-summon-feature-now-this-owner-cant-get-to-his-car/https://www.theguardian.com/global/2024/oct/31/headlights-too-brighthttps://jalopnik.com/fuel-doors-should-always-be-on-the-passenger-side-do-n-1851689173https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V798-1656.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V794-3598.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V812-2619.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024... Duration: 00:55:17Future Tech Debates: Safety, Automation, and Planned Obsolescence
Oct 31, 2024This week:
we start by examining the hype around robo-taxis and their impact on public transportation improvements in automatic emergency braking technology, citing a recent study by AAA, yet highlighting its limitations at higher speeds. Automotive data privacy and consumers' right to control data collected by vehicles, emphasizing the need for regulation. the challenge of detecting and regulating marijuana impairment in driversa discussion on planned obsolescence and its implications for the longevity and safety of vehicles.and moreLinks:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-24/robotaxis-aren-t-going-to-help-save-public-transportationhttps://www.theverge.com/2024/10/24/24276802/automatic-emergency-braking-aeb-forward-collision-aaahttps://www.msn.com/en-us... Duration: 00:58:51From Helmets to Hydrogen, From Tesla to Waymo PR machinations
Oct 24, 2024Topics this week:
the decline in all-rider helmet lawsthe historical impact of the 1964 'chicken tax' on the dominance of SUVs, the ongoing issues with Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' and Summon features. the challenges faced by first responders with electric vehiclesthe intricacies of autonomous vehicle perception technologyrecallsLinks:
https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/lax-helmet-laws-have-killed-more-than-20-000-motorcyclists-study-showshttps://www.nsc.org/road/resources/road-to-zero/massive-hazards-new-rtz-report-on-light-truckshttps://apnews.com/article/tesla-full-self-driving-investigation-pedestrian-killed-f2121166d60d85bd173a734c91049e73https://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/no-one-in-the-car-self-driving-app-raises-questions-after-maryland-crash/3746690/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/tesla-crash-after-police-pursuit-highlights-challenges-electric-cars-pose-for-1st-responders-1.7335290https://jalopnik.com/gateway/these-are-the-worst-experiences-youve-had-selling-a-car-1851678885https://cohen.house.gov... Duration: 01:04:23Tesla: Autonomous Revolution, Illusion or Delusion?
Oct 17, 2024This week we debunk Elon Musk’s grandiose claims about Tesla's Robo Taxi, highlighting regulatory and safety hurdles, and the inflated value of Tesla’s stock driven by speculative products. Regulators can't seem to keep up with the new safety needs of autonomous vehicles and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2X) but Gatik AI is making an effort by adopting UL4600. The EU states the obvious - the CyberTruck is for people that don't care about people and recall roundup.
This weeks links:
https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/elon-musk-tesla-robotaxi-acfc5e3bhttps://www.wsj.com/business/autos/elon... Duration: 00:58:50Robo Rides and Recall Realities
Oct 10, 2024Big thank you to Janette Fennell from Kids and Cars Safety for sending us some cool swag.
This weeks topics include:
Tesla's controversial full self-driving claims;Regulatory issues surrounding autonomous vehicles;Self-certification in vehicle crash testing;A Fisker recall update;When/why do vehicles get crash tested;The New York legal loopholes in drug-impaired driving; Recalls and more...Links:
https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/fewer-drivers-are-opting-out-of-lane-departure-preventionhttps://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/uber-lyft-drivers-use-teslas-makeshift-robotaxis-raising-safety-concerns-2024-10-03/https://electrek.co/2024/10/02/elon-musk-celebrates-winning-lawsuit-tesla-self-driving-claims-embarrassing-defense/https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/car-safety/some-cars-will-never-be-crash-tested-crash-test-ratings-a9250800738/https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/remote-assistants-for-autonomoushttps://techcrunch.com/2024/10/04/gm-is-working-on-an-eyes-off-hands-off-driving-system... Duration: 01:11:17Full Self Driving leads to Dangerous Complacency
Oct 03, 2024Hello listener. Here are some highlights from this weeks episode:
NHTSA is making GM Cruise submit a report of it's software updates every 90 days. Anthony suggests NHTSA ask for the commit logs and other developer documentation so they don't get gaslit.Tesla's FSD requires a human to do the full self driving part.Consumer Reports looks at the CyberTruck and they think visibility sucks.Kia gets hacked and provides a good example of bad cybersecurity in the auto space.Fred explains latency and it's got nothing to do with lace or lattes.plus recalls and moreThis...
Duration: 01:09:35Driving Concerns: Chinese Software in American Cars
Sep 26, 2024Highlights:
The Biden administration's policy on limiting Chinese and Russian vehicle technology to protect U.S. data, and the general challenges in tracing vehicle components' origins. The DHS warns about counterfeit airbags.Anthony calls BS on Sam AltmanMichael tells CarMax they are responsible for recallsFred points out flaws in Torc Robotics and explains GPSThis weeks links:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/09/23/fact-sheet-protecting-america-from-connected-vehicle-technology-from-countries-of-concern/https://www.dhs.gov/hsi/news/2024/09/23/automotive-safety-awareness-campaign-warns-consumers-about-counterfeit-airbagshttps://www.motortrend.com/reviews/mercedes-benz-drive-pilot-95-first-drive-review/https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2024/09/20/cars-trucks-recalls-dangerous-defects-automakers-government/74983075007/https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/electronic-warfare-spooks-airlines-pilots-and-air-safety-officials-60959bbdhttps://torc.ai/safety... Duration: 01:08:59Safety on Autopilot: The Pitfalls and Promises of Partial Automation
Sep 19, 2024Waymo goes full PR campaign and gets some "journalists" to write that Waymo is safer than a human... without explaining that Waymo's data is like comparing apples to astronauts. Basically, Waymo is better than the worst human drivers on small subset of roads, at slow speeds in limited conditions. Maybe.
IIHS releases a study showing that partial automation is, at best, partially beneficial, DC doesn't enforcement traffic camera tickets, Fred explains 4 wheel drive. a Tesla semi catches on fire and Fisker tries to get out of paying for a recall.
This weeks links:
https... Duration: 01:06:15Speed Limits, Safety Standards, and Autonomous Vehicles
Sep 12, 2024We start off this week with California's proposed Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) bill, which aims to warn drivers exceeding speed limits by 10 mph. Next is NHTSA's new safety standards for pedestrian protection and other auto safety innovations. Then, we critique unrealistic claims about autonomous vehicles and highlight a recent investigation into Jeep vehicles catching fire.
This weeks links:
https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/09/10/cars-drivers-speeding-regulations-technology/https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/nhtsa-proposes-new-vehicle-safety-standard-protect-pedestrianshttps://electrek.co/2024/09/10/it-turns-out-cyclists-actually-should-roll-through-stop-signs-heres-why/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/09/driverless-semis-could-be-months-away/https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbestechcouncil/2024/09/10/from-innovation-to-reality-how-autonomous-trucks-may-revolutionize-transportation-and-logistics/https://apnews.com/article/jeep-fire-investigation-wrangler-gladiator-e0e10724623... Duration: 01:02:49Big Cars, Bigger Problems and Driverless Dangers
Sep 05, 2024Finally, a congressional bill aimed at setting federal standards for hood height and visibility to protect pedestrians. Another failure of partial automation systems like Ford's Blue Cruise and Tesla's Autopilot. Anthony let's loose on the NY Times, Amazon is using bad tech to monitor it's drivers and the recalls galore.
This weeks links:
https://www.npr.org/2024/08/23/nx-s1-5084276/pedestrian-protection-bill-bigger-cars-truckshttps://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/philadelphia-woman-driving-partially-automated-mustang-mach-charged-113359116https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/04/technology/waymo-expansion-alphabet.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/09/03/technology/zoox-self-driving-cars-remote-control.htmlhttps://jalopnik.com/amazon-bans-its-drivers-from-moving-their-own-lips-too-1851639312https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/08/23/vision-zero-dc-traffic-deaths/https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/08/29/opinion/ai-medicine-neurosurgery-robot-doctors/https... Duration: 00:56:35Data-driven Insights with QuantivRisk’s Mike Nelson
Aug 29, 2024This week we are joined by Mike Nelson, chair and founder of QuantivRisk, a risk management and technology company. The discussion focuses on QuantivRisk's innovative approach to analyzing vehicle data and video to objectively assess automotive accidents. This episode covers the challenges of defining and litigating safety in the context of ADAS and autonomous vehicles, particularly the complexity involved in evaluating AI decisions during accidents.
This weeks links:
https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/https://quantivrisk.com/https://www.getcruise.com/news/blog/2024/uber-and-cruise-to-deploy-autonomous-vehicles-on-the-uber-platform/ Duration: 01:04:32What's leaking under the hood? V2X, Recalls, and Safety.
Aug 22, 2024A follow up on honking Waymo'sWill V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) happen?.The Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium lacks consumer and academic vetting in their recommendations for automated vehicle safety.Software stress testingRecalls from Ford and BMW
This weeks links:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/waymo-director-says-the-company-s-cars-won-t-honk-at-each-other-anymore/ar-AA1p7puchttps://www.npr.org/2024/08/16/nx-s1-5078616/cars-v2x-connected-vehicles-transportation-dot-nhtsahttps://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/08/odot-reports-fewer-crashes-where-traffic-signs-have-been-replaced-with-radar-based-technology.htmlhttps://newsroom.aaa.com/2024/08/the-pandemics-tenacious-grip-on-traffic-safety/https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/cybertruck-buyers-get-unusual-surprise-a-brand-new-truck-delivered-with-dirt-and-mud-eccd274ahttps://jalopnik.com/tesla-semi-battery-pack-bursts-into-flames-and-spews-to-1851626775https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/19/gm-lays-off-more-than-1000-salaried-software-and-services-employees.htmlhttps://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150505-the-numbers-that-lead-to-disasterhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24V597-8956.PDFhttps... Duration: 01:08:04The Great Parking Lot Honk-Off: Autonomous Cars Gone Wild
Aug 15, 2024Welcome to the chaos of self-driving Waymo vehicles in San Francisco, Elon Musk's questionable promises on robo taxis, and the potential dangers of autonomous vehicles on highways. We question the AV industry's adherence to ethical practices and discuss the severe consequences of failing lithium-ion batteries. Plus recalls. And get your Takata airbag replaced.
This weeks links:
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/08/self-driving-waymo-cars-keep-sf-residents-awake-all-night-by-honking-at-each-other/https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/uber-ceo-says-theres-a-potentially-big-problem-with-elon-musks-robotaxi-idea/ar-AA1oxrty?ocid=BingNewsVerphttps://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2024/08/08/tech/korea-ev-explosion-safety-fears/https://cleantechnica.com/2024/08/11/the-self-driving-startup-everyone-forgot-about-weve-actually-dramatically-accelerated-our-autonomy-progress/https://users.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/ece649/lectures/24_ethics.pdfhttps://www.iihs... Duration: 01:07:48Driving the Future: The Rocky Road of Autonomous Vehicles
Aug 08, 2024Hey Listeners,
How do we feel about bullet points? This week we cover topics like...
Update on the ARC airbag recall implicating 50 million airbags with defects, leading to potential ruptures;Tesla's reporting on Autopilot crashes and the WSJ's great investigation; Data privacy issues with car companies like GM, who sell user driving data.;The financial math behind the autonomous vehicle industry;Recalls and more;This weeks links:
https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2024-07/ARC-Supplemental-Initial-Decision-NHTSA-2023-0038-web.pdfhttps://www.wsj.com/business/autos/tesla-autopilot-crash-investigation-997b0129https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/the-new-gm-cruise-safety-planhttps://gizmodo... Duration: 01:04:26Rerun - Backseat safety with Dr. Emily Thomas of Consumer Reports
Aug 01, 2024We're off this week. This is repeat of an episode that a lot of people missed. It's a good one. Don't miss. Or any episodes.
https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/
Duration: 01:03:47Navigating the Future: Autonomous Cars, Safety Regulations, and Consumer Trust
Jul 25, 2024The dangers of capacitive controls, seatback safety standards, the nonsense spewing from Elon Musk, the FCC toying with us over V2X and GM Cruise continues to gaslight General Motors. Plus we discuss the importance of robust software testing.
This weeks links:
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/07/vw-id-4-owners-report-unintended-acceleration-blame-steering-wheel-design/https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/nhtsa-takes-step-toward-improving-occupant-protectionhttps://www.iihs.org/news/detail/most-small-suvs-perform-well-in-rear-autobrake-evaluationhttps://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2024/07/19/fcc-to-vote-on-auto-safety-spectrum-rules-backed-by-auto-innovators/https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/norfolk-cbp-and-nhtsa-seize-14-noncompliant-tuk-tuk-food-buggies-golfhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/oscar-mayer-wienermobile-in-rollover-wreck-in-illinois-no-injuries-reported/ar-BB1qrdNC?ocid=BingNewsSerphttps://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/gm-s-cruise-origin-robotaxi-is-officially-dead/ar-BB1qtI0p?ocid=BingNewsVerphttps://en... Duration: 01:09:26A Dive into Automotive Safety with Dr. Jonathan Gitlin
Jul 18, 2024Dr. Jonathan Gitlin, senior automotive writer for Ars Technica, joins us this week. Jonathan discusses his career shift, passion for cars, and his experiences test-driving numerous vehicles. This week we delve into the efficacy and ethics of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), Tesla's self-driving claims, and challenges within urban transportation infrastructures.
This weeks links:
https://arstechnica.com/author/jonathan-m-gitlin/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/07/partial-automated-driving-systems-dont-make-driving-safer-study-finds/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/07/11/elon-musk-tesla-full-self-driving/https://www.reuters.com/technology/musk-says-he-requested-extra-time-design-change-robotaxi-2024-07-15/https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/01/cars/electric-car-battery-charge?cid=ios_apphttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/15/electric-vehicles-bidirectional-charging-national-gridhttps://www.autosafety... Duration: 01:03:37Robo-Taxis, Tesla Troubles, and the Path to Safer Roads
Jul 11, 2024This week we cover recent controversies surrounding Tesla's Full Self-Driving technology, revealing how manual interventions and YouTuber feedback fuel the myth of advanced AI automation and into the broader issues of automotive safety, discussing open-source software's pitfalls and the potential cybersecurity risks in modern vehicles. Other highlights include varied recalls from manufacturers like GM, Toyota, Nissan, Ford, and Lucid.
Links:
https://www.autoblog.com/2024/07/09/tesla-self-driving-bias-musk-and-influencers-get-priority-in-autonomous-driving-ai-development/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/06/27/tesla-death-wife-lawsuit-damages/https://www.popsci.com/technology/self-cleaning-tesla/https://jalopnik.com/fan-boy-finally-criticizes-tesla-after-2-broken-tesla-c-1851573471https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/6/24193094/phoenix-waymo-car-pulled-over-traffic-stop-oncoming-lane-policehttps://gothamist.com/news/jfk-airports-newest-ride-not-planes-but-self-driving-shuttleshttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024... Duration: 01:03:49Rerun: Self Driving Cars Explained
Jul 04, 2024This is a rerun. In this episode guests Dr. Jeff Wishart and Phil Koopman explain the history of autonomous vehicles, why safety is really really hard, that human drivers are not bad and that it is pure speculation if a self driving car will ever be safer than a human.
Duration: 00:43:53The Battle Over Automatic Emergency Braking
Jun 27, 2024The Auto Industry is once again against safety and is fighting NHTSA on Automatic Emergency Braking rules. Specifically the Alliance for Automotive Innovation and John Bozzella, for claiming new AEB rules are 'impossible' to implement while also admitting that they are in use today. Michael takes apart ARK Investments for their ridiculous take on Telsa and we delve into recalls with another entry from a Tesla CyberTruck.
This weeks links:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/auto-industry-pleads-with-biden-administration-to-reconsider-automatic-braking-rule/ar-BB1oOpy3https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/designers-must-make-vehicles-safe-for-everyone--not-just-drivers-and-passengershttps://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/2024-Q1-traffic-fatality-estimateshttps://www.washingtonpost.com... Duration: 01:07:45Road to Safety: Waymo Incidents and Dangerous Intersections
Jun 20, 2024Waymo issued a recall after a RoboTaxi crash into a telephone pole. We delve into the complexity of validating software updates for autonomous cars and how Waymo is gaslighting us. IISH has a survey showing driver support for anti-speeding technologies. Fred shares safety tips for proper seating in vehicles, emphasizing the importance of seatbelt use and correct seating positions. Plus self driving cars in China and recalls.
This weeks links:
https://www.autosafety.org/av-bill-of-rights/https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/12/24175489/waymo-recall-telephone-poll-crash-phoenix-software-maphttps://www.iihs.org/news/detail/most-drivers-would-be-ok-with-anti-speeding-tech-in-vehicles-survey-showshttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/business/china-driverless-cars.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/business... Duration: 01:07:36Waymo Woes, Police Chases and Gaslighting
Jun 13, 2024This weeks we start with rising trends in high-speed police chases resulting in crashes and deaths, emphasizing the need for stricter regulations on when such pursuits should occur. We critique European vs. U.S. safety standards and explore advanced technology such as 'license plate trackers' and police tools for remotely stopping cars. Gaslight section covers criticisms of companies like GM Cruise and Waymo. Plus recalls.
This weeks links:
https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/https://www.theverge.com/2024/6/11/24176206/gm-cruise-invest-850-million-operational-cost-houstonhttps://www.timesunion.com/state/article/fatal-police-chases-ny-death-19369809.phphttps://www.timesunion.com/state/article/ny-police-car-chases-increase-19369787.phphttps://www.vox.com... Duration: 00:59:23The South will crash again... and again
Jun 06, 2024Mississippian Michael Brooks faces the fact that more car crashes happen in the South. But the data is a bit suspect as Massachusetts seems not to live up to it's reputation. Also Japanese automakers Toyota, Mazda, and Honda mishandling vehicle safety tests. This week Fred examines Tesla’s ambitious yet problematic GigaCasting manufacturing process and its implications on vehicle safety and repair costs. The hosts conclude with several nominations for 'Gaslight of the Week' and discuss the rising concerns over automated driving technology and vehicle manufacturing shortcuts that impact safety. +1 if you could tell that the last sentence was wr...
Duration: 00:59:55Your mileage may vary
May 30, 2024California is proposing a bill to alert drivers to their speeding. Anthony suggests automatic tickets. Elon doesn't understand data or is flat out lying about the safety of Autopilot. Remote controlled trains remind us of GM Cruise. Miles per Gallon is not as helpful a measure as gallons per 100 miles and we discuss why AV companies don't follow the Department of Transportation's Technology Readiness Levels... which they helped write.
Mentioned Links:
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/21/electric-cars-more-likely-to-hit-pedestrians-than-petrol-vehicles-study-findshttps://www.popsci.com/technology/cars-speeding-beeping/https://gizmodo.com/tesla-ev-autopilot-driver-assistance-safety-elon-musk-1851496656https://jalopnik.com/teslas-full-self-driving-isnt-doesnt-understand-new-yor-1851493822https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/27... Duration: 00:59:38AI Hype Machine, Drunk AVs and Space Dogs
May 23, 2024Artificial Intelligence is the pet rock of today... if the pet rock could hallucinate a term paper. Or in the case of auto safety cause stockholders to hallucinate a future where Tesla creates a robotaxi. This week Tesla is sued for fraud (clutches pearls) and a Waymo drives drunk through Phoenix. Congress goes after auto makers for handing over all of your data without a subpoena and using slave labor. In a new feature focused on gaslighting we talk about the nonsense from Jeff Farah, shill for the AV industry. Plus some recalls.
This weeks links:
... Duration: 01:02:13Technology readiness levels
May 16, 2024Waymo keeps running into things and now NHTSA is investigating. Fred proposes a graduated licensing process for autonomous vehicles. 60 minutes Australia compiles a list of Elon Musk stating how self driving is ready next year but that next year never comes... maybe he's just a salesman? Tesla's automation software has been involved in 467 crashes, 13 of them fatal... and that is just in a 15 month period. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
This weeks links:
https://www.autosafety.org/av-bill-of-rights/https://www.autosafety.org/support-us/https://ieeetv.ieee.org/channels/ssit... Duration: 01:03:14There's no place like safety and the pucker factor
May 09, 2024That scrappy Tesla is still in the news for safety issues. NHTSA has requested more data about their Autopilot recall from December. With over 20 crashes since then there are some questions that need to be answered. And the DOJ and SEC are investigating them about their self driving claims. Drunk driving has been increasing but enforcement has declined. We discuss solutions that are available today but that manufacturers and Congress don't want to act on. Aurora is ready to put there self driving semi's on the road and this inspires Fred to come up with a new business idea...
Duration: 01:07:58Automatic Emergency Braking and Tesla continues to disappoint
May 02, 2024NHTSA has finally released a rule for Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB). We've been asking for one since 2015 so... 3 cheers for NHTSA? But the rules don't go into effect until 2029. Ugh. On the plus side IIHS updated their AEB tests and car makers have a lot of work to do. We dive deep into AEB. And will 2024 be the year of the Tesla lawsuits? Maybe they shouldn't sell things with aspirational names like Autopilot when they keep crashing and killing people? Ford Blue Cruise is under investigation, Waymo says the bad driving of it's robotaxi was on purpose and we...
Duration: 01:04:26Trust, but regulate
Apr 25, 2024The autonomous vehicle industry has their own PR team that is trying to compete with our Consumer Autonomous Vehicle Bill of Rights. It's a bunch of hogwash that they regurgitate every few years. A few Senators that can see through this have written a nice letter to NHTSA telling them to regulate AV's, British Columbia bans AV's and another Tesla driver makes the fatal mistake that his car is an AV and not lipstick on a pig. Fred gets into the dangers of AI through the story of mushrooms. Plus recall roundup that starts with a... Tesla.
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Duration: 01:00:32Road diets and bad Tesla
Apr 18, 2024Could your road go on a diet? Maybe it should as it could make it safer. Did you spend too much money on a stainless tank and are now suffering from unintended acceleration? Contact Tesla and ask if you've been Cyber Trucked. Turbo roundabouts, bad Tesla software updates, daylight savings time and car crashes an update on the Consumer Autonomous Vehicle Bill of Rights and lots of recalls.
This weeks links:
Support the Center for Auto Safetyhttps://jalopnik.com/tesla-cybertruck-hit-with-stop-sale-because-of-unintend-1851409651https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktoker-trapped-hot-car-tesla-locked-her-inside-software-update-2024-4https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/changing-the-clocks-helps-pedestrians-but-hurts-motoristshttps://www.governing.com... Duration: 01:04:40Tesla and stunning negligence
Apr 11, 2024Tesla settles an Autopilot case before the trial starts which makes sense since Elon said they never fight true claims. Another Telsa case involving a 2 year that managed to start the car and crash into his mom has begun and Elon says that his robotaxi's will be announced real soon. Our expert opinion is that Tesla won't produce a robo-taxi within the next 5 years. Don't get high and drive because it's dangerous and the sobriety checks are so poor that you might wind up in jail for a really long time even if you're sober. Fred covers reaction time...
Duration: 01:04:49Backseat safety with Dr. Emily Thomas
Apr 04, 2024This week Dr. Emily Thomas from Consumer Reports joins us to discuss backseat safety. Did you know that there is technology to remind you not to leave your kids in the car? And it's not standardized or required, Dr. Thomas walks us through the tech, the safety of car seats and how Consumer Reports conducts testing for these items. It's a good one.
This weeks links:
https://www.noheatstroke.org/https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/car-seats/https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/2022-traffic-deaths-2023-early-estimateshttps://www.autosafety.org/support-us/ Duration: 01:03:33Dash Cam Time Sink
Mar 28, 2024Oh the joys of dash cams... remember just because you're the one filming doesn't mean that you're not int he wrong. Should you get one? Listen and find out. GM stops selling your data, Elon forces everyone to experience FSD, the solar eclipse might lead to more crashes, and New Jersey is trying to exempt all of their drivers from automated traffic enforcement.
This weeks links:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/the-pros-and-cons-of-having-a-dashcam-if-you-get-into-a-car-accident/ar-BB1jM3o3https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/planning-a-road-trip-for-the-total-solar-eclipse-heres-why-you-should-drive-extra-carefully/ar-BB1kA1iihttps://electrek.co/2024/03/25/elon-musk-mandates-tesla-install-demo-full-self-driving-beta-every-new-delivery/https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2024/03/25/report-independent-shops-face-repair-information-limitations-but-do-have-access... Duration: 01:03:33Odometer rollback and automated driving fail
Mar 21, 2024Apparently, if one were so inclined you could replace or reprogram your digital odometer fairly easily because security is not something that is built into car software. How was that for a sentence? 3 adverbs at once. Ouch. Know what else hurts? Drowsy driving. It's under-reported and dangerous. Autonomous driving modes also seem to be dangerous as we see in our Blue Cruise discussion. Maybe we should all stay awake and engaged instead of napping and hoping the car will drive itself to the Piggly Wiggly. Plus we dig into the CAN Bus (that's the lack of security around the...
Duration: 01:03:100 to 60 to outrun your insecurities
Mar 14, 2024Know the difference between laminated glass and tempered glass? Did you know that a laminated glass breaking tool for sale online will not actually break laminated glass? I answered no to both of these questions so it's a good thing I listened to this episode. Plus some cars are tracking your ever move and then selling the data to your insurance company... without your knowledge or consent. IIHS adds a new test for partial automated driving features and everyone - almost everyone - fails, Tesla is on trial and blames its customers. And Fred breaks down 0 to 60 in one...
Duration: 01:03:12Pushing buttons
Mar 07, 2024Touch screen or physical buttons that go click? This is the new Pepsi challenge. Where are you? Odds are if you are here than you like the buttons. So do we. This week we start off with a story about how the Europeans are going to ding manufacturers for hiding features behind a touch screen. Telsa decided to go even further and remove turn signal stalks, the Biden administration talks about cyber security for your car, Waymo takes to LA and a thief tries to take a Waymo, it's "recall week" at NHTSA, Fred explains flying cars and we...
Duration: 01:10:46How do I drive this rental car? Plus FSD fail and how hybrid's work.
Feb 29, 2024This week Anthony deals with rental cars, the Washington Post investigates Tesla, Fred explains hybrids, Michael provides more detail about Ford airbag non fixes and more.
This weeks links:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/02/28/greenest-cars-plug-in-hybrid/https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/iihs-challenges-automakers-with-tougher-top-safety-pick-award-criteriahttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/02/new-data-shows-which-states-were-more-deadly-for-pedestrians-in-2023/https://newsroom.aaa.com/2024/02/hit-the-brakes/https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2024/02/20/will-female-crash-dummies-improve-road-safety-for-women-the-answer-is-complicated/?sh=13758efe6a20https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/key-takeaways-fords-unfixed-air-bags-that-consumers-believe-were-fixed/ar-BB1iV4Nfhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2024/tesla-full-self-driving-fatal-crash/https://futurism.com/tesla-driver-not-sure-full-self-driving?trk=feed-detail_main-feed-card_feed-article-contenthttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2024/RCLRPT-24E013-2218... Duration: 01:16:57Part 2 with Philip Koopman and William H. Widen
Feb 22, 2024Our guests stuck around for another episode. In this one Phil explains why "driving modes" make much more sense than SAE Levels and I have to agree. Levels are meaningless since every OEM seems to make them mean whatever they want. William explains more about liability and how the laws are not keeping up because there has not been a pressing issue from the public. Actually, the way he says is much better but you're going to have to listen to find out.
Duration: 00:58:31Part 1 with Philip Koopman and William H. Widen
Feb 15, 2024This is the first of a two-part episode with Philip Koopman, Associate Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and William H. Widen, Professor at University of Miami School of Law.
The the two have been providing testimony to state legislatures about the safety of autonomous vehicles and authoring a bunch of articles. In this episode they walk us through the liability aspects of self driving cars and explain who the driver is.
Related Links
https://assets.ctfassets.net/e6t5diu0txbw/54ngcIlGK4EZnUapYvAjyf/7a5b30a670350cc1d85c9d07ca282b0... Duration: 00:53:28Self driving cars explained
Feb 08, 2024In this episode guests Dr. Jeff Wishart and Phil Koopman explain the history of autonomous vehicles, why safety is really really hard, that human drivers are not bad and that it is pure speculation if a self driving car will ever be safer than a human.
Duration: 00:43:38Do neural networks get distracted?
Feb 01, 2024No idea and we don't directly address that question. Instead we discuss how you'll never know what goes on inside the "mind" of the AI. Plus GM Cruise releases a report that says they failed because they think they are better than regulations and regulators, distracted driving is on the rise. elderly drivers consider signing advanced directives for their kids to take away their license and Telsa keeps calling cruise control "full self driving".
This weeks links:
https://getcruise.com/news/blog/2024/cruise-releases-third-party-findings-regarding-october-2/https://assets.ctfassets.net/95kuvdv8zn1v/1mb55pLYkkXVn0nXxEXz7w/9fb0e4938... Duration: 01:04:32Speed thrills and speed kills
Jan 25, 2024Over a quarter or all motor vehicle deaths are due to excessive speed. Why are we in such a rush and where are we going? No idea. This week we dig into Intelligent Speed Assist and ponder the question if it's the consumer preventing solutions or the auto makers? If regulators got involved then we could save over 10,000 lives per year.
Plus San Francisco sues the CPUC over self driving cars, taller cars are deadlier cars, Fred explains why we don't need cars that can go over 100mph and we cover a few recalls.
This...
Duration: 01:01:33