There Auto Be A Law

It'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-68mph/ar-AA1CraSphttps://www.familiesforsafestreets.org/news/virginia-becomes-first-state-to-adopt-isa-tech-to-stop-super-speedershttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/nyregion/nyc-drivers-brooklyn-car-crash.htmlhttps://thehill.com/business/5221471-who-is-trevor-milton-nikola-pardon/https://futurism.com/teslas-kill-motorcyclists-self-drivinghttps://www.jalopnik.com/1829010/tesla-unsold-cybertrucks-inventory/https://electrek.co/2025/04/08/tesla-already-has-new-model-y-inventory-available-today-in-the-us-demand-is-terrible/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V197-2752.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V198-1837.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V202-6052.PDF

Happy 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://boingboing.net/2025/03/28/elon-musk-threatens-to-use-government-power-to-go-after-people-who-lie-about-tesla.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/28/business/trump-auto-tariffs-companies.htmlhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-fully-american-made-car/ar-AA1C1GRZhttps://www.govtech.com/transportation/prep-underway-for-full-driverless-trucks-on-texas-highwayshttps://www.yahoo.com/news/chinas-xiaomi-says-actively-cooperating-052114932.htmlhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/female-crash-dummies-to-be-used-in-car-safety-tests-under-katie-britt-bill-it-is-past-time/ar-AA1BpvzHhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25E021-3111.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V179-8053.PDFhttps://www.silive.com/news/2025/03/nissan-begins-long-delayed-fix-on-3-year-old-suv-recall.htmlhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V193-3458.PDF

This 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-25V173-2157.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V174-5494.PDFhttps://www.autosafety.org/support-us/

Tesla 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?app=desktop&v=IQJL3htsDyQ&t=1049shttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10676-024-09775-5https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Bullshithttps://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/03/13/waymo-robotaxis-parking-tickets/https://newsroom.aaa.com/2025/03/high-stakes-how-cannabis-consumers-view-driving-while-under-the-influence/https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/cars/autos-technology-gear-shifter-design-tesla-44d79694https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V148-9249.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V155-1814.PDF

Ever 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.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V100-3499.PDFhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/ford-once-again-recalling-vehicles-to-fix-issues-caused-by-past-recalls/ar-AA1AD0GK

How 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-idfy-achieves-soc-2-type-ii-attestation-strengthening-data-security-and-trusthttps://electrek.co/2025/02/27/tesla-drivers-are-racking-up-fines-using-fsd-in-china/https://futurism.com/footage-cybertruck-self-driving-mode-oncoming-traffichttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V116-5468.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V120-7267.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V125-6194.PDF

This 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-25V085-6011.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V092-6812.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V093-8408.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V099-7174.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V106-5920.PDF

Jonathan 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.PDFhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V058-2469.PDF

We 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

Phil 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/