There Auto Be A Law

NHTSA 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.Support Safety. Support the show.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.com/advanced-transport/waymo-school-bushttps://apnews.com/article/f150-pickup-ford-vehicle-thefts-technology-242273a5e3aeb0203535c5cd2ee85c89https://www.autosafety.org/autonomous-vehicle-checklist/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25E084-7732.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V846-0479.pdf

The 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.Support the show! Support safety!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://www.autoblog.com/news/all-of-russias-porsches-were-bricked-by-a-mysterious-satellite-outagehttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2025/INOT-PE25013-30888P1.pdfhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/officials-expand-probe-into-waymo-over-robotaxis-driving-around-school-buses/ar-AA1RNTBOhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/opinion/self-driving-cars.htmlhttps://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/12/the-amount-gm-spent-on-its-defunct-cruise-robotaxi-service-will-shock-you/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V816-8746.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V826-4232.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V836-4853.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V833-5047.pdf

We 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.Support the show! Support Safety!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/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V807-4146.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V808-2163.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V796-7086.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V794-5581.pdf

This 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/

Hawaii 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.Donate to support the show!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://electrek.co/2025/11/17/tesla-robotaxi-had-3-more-crashes-now-7-total/https://electrek.co/2025/11/17/tesla-settles-another-lawsuit-autopilot-crash-4th-losing-trial/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/11/tesla-safety-driver-falls-asleep-during-passengers-robotaxi-ride/https://www.autosafety.org/autonomous-vehicle-checklist/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V766-2002.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V764-4046.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V767-6304.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V785-7898.pdf

Hands-free driving and driver-assist technologies get studied, Tesla makes claims, Fred pushes Waymo to provide more data. And recalls galore. Support the show!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.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V721-9987.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25E070-6420.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25E071-6571.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V744-2593.pdf

Phil Koopman, an accomplished automotive safety engineer, delves into the perplexing issue of sudden unintended acceleration. He highlights the evolution from mechanical to electronic throttles and the dangers of misinterpreted data blaming drivers instead of faulty systems. Phil recounts the Audi 5000 case and explains legal tendencies that obscure engineering failures. He warns about the risks of complex software systems and the industry’s pushback against safety improvements, all while emphasizing the need for better regulatory standards.

The hosts dive into serious automotive safety concerns, discussing alarming counterfeit airbag issues leading to fatalities. Tesla's controversial driving modes spark debate about responsibility in automation. They also tackle drowsy driving, suggesting innovative detection tech could greatly reduce risks. The idea of cars warning other drivers about hazardous behavior is proposed, aiming for a more defensive road environment. Plus, quirky anecdotes about squirrels causing vehicle damage add a lighthearted touch amidst the grave topics.

Waymo'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.Support the show!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.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/10/48268811/elon-musks-tesla-risks-nhtsa-scrutiny-with-fsd-v14-1-2s-mad-max-update-that-ignores-speed-limitshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/10/16/commercial-trucker-drivers-english-proficiency-trump/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V676-8306.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V678-9029.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V685-7473.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V686-8702.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25E068-2476.pdf

Tesla 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.Support the show!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://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V657-9208.pdf