There Auto Be A Law

Center for Auto Safety
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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.

  1. Texas mandates seat belts but forgets the funding

    3 days ago

    Texas mandates seat belts but forgets the funding

    The “magic” Donut Labs battery gets debunked as ordinary lithium‑ion, tied to a crowdfunding-fueled scam with big promises and no manufactured cells, while real solid-state progress is still coming from major automakers. Americans are keeping cars longer (now ~13 years), slowing the spread of safety tech like advanced AEB. Driverless delivery trucks tout reliability and UL 4600 talk, but robotaxis draw scrutiny for safety claims, red-light issues, and a stalled vehicle that delayed firefighters. Zoox safety marketing and exemptions get criticized, Texas is dragged for an unfunded school-bus seatbelt mandate, liquid hydrogen gets a quick reality check, and multiple recalls hit seatbelts, moonroofs, and fire risks (Jeep, Pacifica PHEV). Support the show! https://electrek.co/2026/06/08/donut-lab-solid-state-battery-exposed-lithium-ion-fraud/ https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/americans-are-keeping-their-cars-longer-than-ever-and-remaking-the-auto-industry-c169e494 https://www.wsj.com/business/logistics/driverless-trucks-pepsico-texas-arizona-arkansas-ee4495f0?mod=hp_lead_pos11 https://edition.cnn.com/us/waymo-robotaxis-safety-invs https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/bodycam-shows-cop-trying-move-102600011.html https://abc13.com/post/texas-school-districts-struggling-costs-complying-bus-seatbelt-law/19235825/ https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V356-0668.pdf https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V344-7460.pdf https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V346-4589.pdf https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V363-5757.pdf https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V362-0804.pdf

    1hr 3min
  2. Tesla's Unusual Detours, the Misplaced Panic of Kill Switches, and AV Trucking Truths

    4 Jun

    Tesla's Unusual Detours, the Misplaced Panic of Kill Switches, and AV Trucking Truths

    A whirlwind tour of automotive chaos: skepticism toward bold self-driving claims and cherry-picked safety stats, a Tesla crash into a California home, and BYD promising to cover liability when its driver-assist is used “properly.” The discussion also torches rosy “facts” from the autonomous trucking lobby, argues drunk-driving prevention tech isn’t a privacy apocalypse, and flags “zero-gravity” seats as a potential safety risk. A battery deep-dive compares energy density, charging, lifespan, and unanswered cost questions. Recalls roll in for Ford suspension joints, Toyota dashboards, Honda seat sensors affecting airbags, Nissan blank instrument clusters, and GM airbag inflators with rupture risk. Support Auto Safety! https://www.reuters.com/investigations/why-teslas-ai-trainers-dont-trust-its-self-driving-tech-or-its-safety-stats-2026-05-28/https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/67ee365c25e6530594bd40c2/688a2ff712e094608196a6b3_AV%20Truck%20Factsheet_.pdfhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/kill-switch-law-means-next-080330472.htmlhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/tesla-autopilot-crashes-claremont-home-102130808.htmlhttps://cleantechnica.com/2026/06/01/byd-takes-on-crash-liability-when-its-driver-assist-system-is-active/https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/china-releases-draft-safety-requirements-ev-battery-recycling-2026-05-26/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V340-0609.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V341-2541.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V332-6150.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V331-8971.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V329-0487.pdf

    1hr 10min
  3. Autonomous Adjacent Vehicles

    28 May

    Autonomous Adjacent Vehicles

    Waymo’s “final remedy” for flooded roads amounts to geofencing around flash-flood warnings, raising doubts about sensor limits, end-to-end AI hype, and slow remote assistance—especially after a robotaxi reportedly sped through a freeway construction zone with police chasing it, prompting a temporary freeway pause. AV's need to identify themselves to other road users. Tesla is criticized for selectively unredacting crash narratives, Uber is accused of pushing liability limits and manipulating self-insurance to bankroll AV expansion, plus more and recalls. Support the Show! https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/21/waymo-pauses-service-in-four-cities-as-robotaxis-keep-driving-into-floods/https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/waymo-suspends-freeway-rides-pauses-atlanta-operations-amid-safety-fixes-2026-05-21/https://philkoopman.substack.com/p/robotaxi-safety-problems-are-thehttps://www.autoevolution.com/news/waymo-suspends-all-freeway-rides-after-customer-shares-neck-breaking-ride-from-hell-270360.htmlhttps://electrek.co/2026/05/15/tesla-unredacts-robotaxi-crash-narratives-nhtsa/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/24/us/waymo-robot-taxis-blind.htmlhttps://consumerwatchdog.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Facing-an-existential-threat_-How-Uber-is-navigating-clashes-with-trial-attorneys-assault-lawsuits-and-competition-Los-Angeles-Times.pdfhttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/05/these-clever-active-beam-headlights-are-finally-coming-to-america/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V320-0076.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V316-9486.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V308-8651.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V307-7963.pdf

    1hr 6min
  4. Super Speeders, Waymo and Water Hazards plus Dangerous Ads

    21 May

    Super Speeders, Waymo and Water Hazards plus Dangerous Ads

    Car ads keep glorifying speed while broadcast rules obsess over seat belts and ignore speeding, and horsepower hype is called mostly useless for real driving. In Europe, some brands accept lower Euro NCAP scores—often split by trim and optional safety packs—while U.S. ratings feel like everyone gets five stars as testing lags and funding stays thin. A federal bill would tack on an annual EV fee to help pay for roads. Waymo's earn side-eye for flooding blunders, blocking fire stations, and questionable “evidence” from a doctor-backed pro-AV letter, while bold promises claim humans will barely drive in 10 years. NYC may force repeat speed-camera offenders to install GPS-based speed limiters with a daily fee. Recalls include Jeep Cherokee rollaway risk, Tesla and Mercedes display/camera glitches, plus Waymo flood-response issues, and an AV Ride probe for crashes and red-light behavior. Support the show! https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/more-car-ads-promote-vehicle-performance-despite-dangers-of-speedhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/buying/why-some-carmakers-are-intentionally-settling-for-lower-safety-scores/ar-AA23uFoKhttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/05/bipartisan-bill-in-congress-includes-130-annual-ev-registration-fee/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/30/nyregion/nyc-speed-limiters-cars-frequent-speeders.htmlhttps://futurism.com/advanced-transport/waymo-recall-floodwaterhttps://opmed.doximity.com/articles/an-open-letter-from-the-medical-community-on-america-s-road-deathshttps://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2026/05/18/elon-musk-sees-broad-use-of-self-driving-cars-without-human-monitors/90144524007/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V290-1107.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V283-7135.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V281-7837.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26E026-6527.pdf

    57 min
  5. Churning the Nonsense: The Waymo files

    30 Apr

    Churning the Nonsense: The Waymo files

    A flood sweeps away Waymo's in San Antonio and we dig into safety claims, and why they really don't get tickets. Zook's terms are flagged for burying major warnings, forcing arbitration, and capping liability. Lawmakers are criticized for framing alcohol-impairment prevention tech as “surveillance” while carmakers already monetize driver data. Plus NHTSA is underfunded truck-safety oversight, Tesla’s retrofits for “full self-driving,” police pursuit tech like grapplers and drones, and a batch of recalls from Ford, Volkswagen/Audi, and Jaguar Land Rover. Support Safety! https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/waymo-san-antonio-still-paused-212804570.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBNfHUhmdq8https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/04/24/robotaxis-dc-bill-charles-allen/https://newrepublic.com/article/209475/waymos-wont-solve-traffic-deathshttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/24/opinion/trucking-safety.htmlhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ready-next-car-decide-too-145928352.htmlhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/exclusive-kill-switch-amendment-could-shake-up-the-capitol-hill-fisa-fight/ar-AA21RESZhttps://insideevs.com/news/793786/tesla-hw3-retrofit-micro-factories/https://nypost.com/2026/04/10/us-news/california-congresswoman-pushes-for-technology-to-reduce-deadly-car-chases/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V238-6269.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V240-2255.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V258-9757.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V248-5125.pdf

    1hr 4min
  6. Chameleon Carriers, "Slammers", Waymo and Tesla. Is there anywhere safe to drive?

    23 Apr

    Chameleon Carriers, "Slammers", Waymo and Tesla. Is there anywhere safe to drive?

    A New Orleans scheme staged “slammer” crashes into 18-wheelers to cash in on big insurance, spotlighting why dash cams and truck cameras matter and how fraud raises costs for everyone. Regulators also keep letting dangerous “chameleon” trucking companies rebrand and roll on, even with glaring red flags. Meanwhile, phantom braking drama shows how widespread driver-assist tech still lacks strong standards before 2029. Self-driving hype gets shredded over remote supervision, shaky safety claims, and lawsuits over undelivered promises—followed by a grab bag of major recalls from Ford, Honda, Kia/Hyundai, and Ram. support the show! https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/04/20/the-car-crash-conspiracyhttps://www.aol.com/lifestyle/why-letting-cheaper-chinese-cars-140036080.html?guccounter=1https://www.cbsnews.com/projects/2026/chameleon-carrier-trucks/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9Ca5DzYk2Ahttps://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2026/honda-wins-phantom-braking-lawsuit-trial.shtmlhttps://electrek.co/2026/04/18/tesla-robotaxi-launches-dallas-houston-small-geofences/https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/car-owners-are-revolting-over-teslas-self-driving-promises-b76edcddhttps://www.tennessean.com/story/money/cars/2026/04/14/waymo-selfdriving-cars-nashville-strange-behavior-metro-police/89588326007/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V237-6816.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V227-3612.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V232-8722.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V229-0144.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V244-8175.pdf

    1hr 5min
  7. Automated Gullibility

    16 Apr

    Automated Gullibility

    A wide-ranging safety rant links soaring car prices and shrinking fuel economy to policy shifts, then flirts with a fix: let Chinese automakers compete—if they build in the U.S., ditch subsidies, and address cybersecurity. "Ghost” trucking fleets game DOT numbers to erase violations and push unsafe hours, begging for tighter oversight. Europe’s tiny Tesla FSD “quiz” gets mocked as flimsy liability theater, while both Musk and Waymo safety boasts are slammed as data-cherry-picking. Bright spot: $50M for ambulance blood transfusions at crash scenes. Bonus tips: carry a car fire extinguisher. Support the show! https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/04/13/opinion/affordable-car-cost.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylbvU-lmcpIhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-dangerous-trucking-schemes-putting-americans-at-risk-60-minutes-transcript/https://insideevs.com/news/792801/europe-fsd-quiz-to-activate/https://electrek.co/2026/04/08/musk-tesla-fsd-10x-safer-claim-doesnt-hold-up/https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/04/13/blood-transfusion-trauma-patients-connecticuthttps://www.cbtnews.com/euro-ncap-says-u-s-politics-slowing-vehicle-safety-progress/https://saferoads.org/2026-av-tech-truck-poll/https://www.autosafety.org/autonomous-vehicle-checklist/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/fire-extinguisher-for-cars-do-you-need-one-and-which-type-is-best/ar-AA20RunGhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V218-6077.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V216-4969.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V209-1445.pdf

    1hr 1min
  8. Speed cameras, AV regulations and Waymo fails

    9 Apr

    Speed cameras, AV regulations and Waymo fails

    DC speed cameras nail extreme “super violators,” but out-of-state tags and “it wasn’t me driving” excuses help offenders dodge consequences. Autonomous-vehicle companies are accused of misleading lawmakers by touting tiny “latency” numbers while downplaying real-world delays from human-in-the-loop remote operations and refusing to reveal how often remote operators intervene. New traffic-fatality estimates show improvement from the COVID spike, but officials are criticized for taking credit while skipping key tech rules on distraction, impairment, and speed limiting. NTSB warns hands-off systems like Ford BlueCruise can fuel complacency and misuse, urges better driver monitoring, speed limits for automation, and stronger crash data collection. Plus: Colorado’s average-speed cameras, Waymo wrong-way school/drive-thru blunders and more. Support the show! https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/03/28/speed-cameras-dc-scofflaws/https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-investigation-into-autonomous-vehicle-companies-use-of-remote-assistance-operators-reveals-serious-safety-gaps-lack-of-transparencyhttps://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/traffic-deaths-2025-early-estimates-2024-annualhttps://apnews.com/article/ford-blue-cruise-ntsb-autonomous-crash-00680c04c9201f3967848b6316ff6a90https://www.motor1.com/news/792050/colorado-automated-speed-limit-cameras/https://www.ktsa.com/report-waymo-autonomous-vehicle-goes-wrong-way-in-school-zone/https://www.motorbiscuit.com/video-shows-waymo-robotaxi-failing-at-an-la-drive-thru-in-viral-disaster-way-way-what-you-doin/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V203-3945.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V199-1493.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V204-7221.pdfhttps://www.motortrend.com/news/stop-sale-recall-2025-2026-chevy-corvette-turn-signal

    1hr 3min
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Center for Auto Safety
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    203
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Center for Auto Safety
  • Show Website
    There Auto Be A Law

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