There Auto Be A Law

Fred'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. Are you subscribed? Donate! This weeks links: https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/67ee2ad971d86c70d02ed03f/683802d318db2c77d4ce3d43_2025_StateOfAV_An...

We'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.

Hey 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:...

Hazardous 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:/...

Tesla 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-cars https://arstechni...

The 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-b...

Uh 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...

NHTSA 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.pdf http...

This 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.pdf https://w...

NHTSA 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-v...

People 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 sa...

Trump'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/tarif...

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 rec...

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 Sp...

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://electr...

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-co...

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/...

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-...

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-AA1zGAUi https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/cars/2025/02/20/stellantis-self-driving-autodrive-watch-movies/79334466007/...

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=1 https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/supersizing-vehicles-of...

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-vehicles https://philkoo...

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-bur...

Hi 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:...

Automakers 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...

Howdy, 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...