There Auto Be A Law

Center for Auto Safety
  • 4.5 (11)
  • Automotive
  • Updated Weekly

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. 5d ago

    Limitations of Robotaxi Safety Claims with Phil Koopman

    A deep dive into why “AVs are safer than humans” headlines are shaky: safety studies often ignore changing software, remote-operator roles, empty-vehicle miles that reduce “injury crashes,” selective reporting, weak human-driver baselines (especially COVID-era data), and risk exported to other road users when vehicles stop or phantom brake. The big warning: past performance doesn’t prove safety at massive scale or in new cities with different conditions, and rare fatalities need far more miles to measure. Skepticism also targets closed-door industry “standards” shaping federal rules, plus quick hits on messy recall fixes, rear-camera failures, and an investigation into Comma.ai after crashes and fatalities. https://avsafety.substack.com/p/a-guide-to-the-limitations-of-robotaxihttps://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/nhtsa-wants-ideas-fix-recalls-120949573.htmlhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V605-9379.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V597-1248.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V598-8506.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2026/INOA-PE26007-17274.pdf

    Limitations of Robotaxi Safety Claims with Phil Koopman

  2. Sep 24

    Autonomous Vehicle Hotlines Fail

    A driverless car wanders through a Denver farmers market, and authorities admit there’s no clear way to ticket an empty vehicle. Maybe a Geofence Notice Specification would help? Federal pedestrian-protection results look grim for U.S. automakers, with most qualifying models coming from Asian brands. Emergency hotlines for self-driving operators often fail, raising doubts about remote help and the need for passenger emergency controls. Concerns over reclined or rotated seating in future AVs plus recalls Support the show! https://www.9news.com/article/news/community/transportation/waymo-drives-denver-farmers-market-no-law/73-a55cac7b-9c76-4003-896b-1dd5ad162deahttps://www.autopilotwatch.com/analysis/the-fsd-death-tollhttps://www.teslarati.com/why-automakers-keep-turning-down-elon-musks-tesla-full-self-driving-offer/https://autos.yahoo.com/safety-and-recalls/articles/nhtsa-says-102-cars-meet-182521601.htmlhttps://www.wired.com/story/meet-the-academics-trying-to-stop-you-from-having-sex-in-robotaxis/https://www.wired.com/story/how-self-driving-cars-might-change-crash-testing-forever/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TZFcyzGEiYhttps://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/ford-ceo-jim-farley-disputes-131135101.htmlhttps://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2026-09/NHTSA-260820-001_Signed.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V590-6184.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V587-5272.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V588-5849.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V599-8186.pdf

    Autonomous Vehicle Hotlines Fail

  3. Sep 17

    America needs fat dummies

    Federal crash tests still rely on a 5’9”, 170‑lb male dummy, leaving heavier, taller, older, and many female body types underrepresented while better (but pricier) sensor-rich dummies exist. Europe pushes intelligent speed assistance and even satellite enforcement, but accuracy, hacking, and real-world driving edge cases raise concerns. Waymo drew dozens of police calls and now touts a new compute chip, prompting worries about revalidating safety and cosmic-ray-induced electronic upsets without strong standards. GM gets heat for cheap backseat “kid reminder” software instead of true presence detection. Tesla takes hits for reckless FSD hype and rising crash reports. A banned counterfeit Chinese airbag inflator claims an 11th life. Recalls: Ford F‑150 fuel tank straps, Toyota C‑HR overcharge shutdown, Ford Bronco curtain-airbag burr. Donate! https://celticswire.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2026/09/10/crash-test-dummies-get-second-look-for-safety-from-michigan-labs/90886527007/https://insideevs.com/news/801020/eu-mulling-satellite-speed-limits/https://www.designnews.com/automotive-engineering/waymo-unveils-custom-5nm-asic-to-power-real-time-autonomous-driving-with-1000-tops-performancehttps://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/general/police-records-show-how-waymo-robotaxis-struggled-on-san-antonio-streets/ar-AA2c7hdGhttps://electrek.co/2026/09/11/musk-promotes-tesla-fsd-misuse-98-year-old/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/09/12/would-jesus-like-waymo-baptists-have-thoughts/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/nyregion/mamdani-street-safety-vision-zero-reimagined.htmlmore links at the site.

    America needs fat dummies

  4. Sep 10

    Cybercab Chaos

    This week we're joined by former NASA engineer Chris Chamberlin to discuss oil changes. But first it's Tesla’s steering-wheel-free Cybercab rolls out while claiming self-certified compliance, prompting regulators to probe how it could possibly meet federal safety standards despite missing basics like pedals and mirrors. Their emergency responder guide is mocked as wildly impractical: flatbed-only towing, badge-to-camera verification, jumpstarting low-voltage power to open the hood, heavy “guillotine” doors, and battery fires needing 3,000–8,000 gallons of water. The discussion compares lax autonomous-vehicle oversight to NASA-style “test what you fly,” then detours into shuttle-era lubricant analysis and why oil-change intervals are oversold. Recalls cover Jeep coil springs and rear-camera software failures in Ram and Outlander. Support the Show. Donate! https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/investigation-tesla-cybercab-self-certificationhttps://electrek.co/2026/09/08/tesla-cybercab-hidden-virtual-joystick-manual-driving/https://www.dps.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/highwaypatrol/cav/plans/tesla_cybercab_robotaxi.pdfhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/04/business/tesla-cybercab-nhtsa-investigation.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2026/09/07/seat-belt-chimes-are-meant-save-lives-some-people-still-resent-them/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V562-9434.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V560-9456.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V549-3979.pdf

    Cybercab Chaos

  5. Sep 3

    Exploding Sunroofs

    We look at why sunroofs can shatter—debris, temperature swings, or defects—and why switching to laminated glass could worsen escape in a crash. Telematics data suggests cell phone use before crashes is far higher than police reports indicate, though navigation may muddy the numbers. A Waymo collision shows the robot kept driving to a safer pull-over, while Tesla’s “FSD Lite” on older hardware is criticized after plowing over a large log. A federal reporting quirk can miss robotaxi hard-braking injuries without a crash, fueling calls for near-miss reporting. Also: eBay bans airbag listings, a fuel-economy rollback is blasted, “rest-in-red” lights reward slow drivers, Singapore caps car ownership, and major recalls hit Chrysler, Kia, Britax, Lucid, and Ford. Donate for Safety! https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/car-sunroofs-keep-spontaneously-explodingand-the-problem-is-getting-worse-b197d466https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/study-shows-police-reports-undercount-cellphone-use-before-crasheshttps://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/general/waymo-driverless-vehicle-collides-with-car-in-california/vi-AA2b8tPI#https://electrek.co/2026/08/24/tesla-fsd-v14-1-lite-drove-over-log/https://autos.yahoo.com/policy-and-environment/articles/why-robotaxi-hard-braking-injuries-215500260.htmlhttps://news.engin.umich.edu/2026/07/self-driving-cars-near-miss-driving-data-can-expedite-av-algorithm-training/https://www.autonomousvehicleinternational.com/news/trucks/amd-to-power-kodiak-ais-next-generation-autonomous-trucks.htmlhttps://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2022-1more links at the website

    Exploding Sunroofs

  6. Aug 27

    China: Leading in safety

    China orders a 4.3 million-vehicle recall over hard-to-find manual door releases and plans to ban certain electronic door-handle designs by 2027, highlighting faster safety rulemaking than U.S. regulators. Rosy claims about robotaxi safety and affordability are mocked as PR, with criticism of redacted crash disclosures and “shill” tech journalism. A GM blind-spot issue is blasted as a mere service bulletin, and a GM EV brake problem sits in investigation. Donate for safety! https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/china-flexes-its-auto-safety-chops-with-huge-recall-tesla-other-cars-2026-08-26/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/08/democrats-waymo-safety-jobs/688324/?gift=-C-w73vZX-CaPlkKhA0XdmkVQkhpIPzwYPSt0okkDKEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chg_MXkMolYhttps://www.wsj.com/business/autos/amazons-toaster-shaped-robotaxis-are-hitting-the-road-111c7b90https://gmauthority.com/blog/2026/08/gm-releases-widespread-fix-for-false-blind-spot-monitoring-system-alerts/https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/general/waymo-hands-over-documents-in-nhtsa-s-child-collision-probe/ar-AA2aFAK0https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2026/INRL-PE26001-14420P1.pdfhttps://www.techtimes.com/articles/325359/20260824/japan-mandates-cabin-facing-cameras-all-cars-2031-smartphone-bans-fail.htmhttps://www.iihs.org/news/detail/driver-death-rates-remain-high-for-small-cars-models-with-powerful-engineshttps://techcrunch.com/2026/08/24/brake-problems-in-gm-evs-draw-greater-federal-scrutiny/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V545-1489.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V528-0755.pdf

    China: Leading in safety

  7. Aug 20

    Waymo is 5.5 times worse than a human driver

    Privacy-troubled license-plate readers promise shorter data retention while still ripe for abuse, and “park outside” warnings highlight how always-on electronics can spark garage fires. Backup cameras have triggered recalls across over 20 million vehicles. Zoox’s safety claims lack numbers and has 123 autonomous-mode collisions logged, Tesla’s steering-wheel-free Cybercab talk is called nonsense, and Waymo’s expansion is criticized as ignoring local opposition, with a data-based claim it’s far more hazardous than comparable human-driven cars. https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/flock-guardrails-address-lpr-privacy-concerns-and-police-transparencyhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/general/they-wwwwre-told-to-park-outside-then-their-cars-burst-into-flames/ar-AA2ahnLGhttps://zoox.com/journal/safety-case-frameworkhttps://thenextweb.com/news/zoox-safety-case-framework-robotaxi-recallhttps://www.iihs.org/ratings/driver-death-rates-by-make-and-modelhttps://waymo.com/blog/2024/08/meet-the-6th-generation-waymo-driver/https://electrek.co/2026/08/17/tesla-cybercab-launch-least-exciting-vehicle-ever/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-quantumscape-and-factorial-energy-mass-produce-solid-state-batteries/https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/17/health/album-streaming-traffic-deathshttps://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/08/new-research-finds-most-drivers-think-speeding-is-normal-putting-everyone-at-risk/https://electrek.co/2026/08/14/waymo-cpuc-approval-california-expansion-18-counties/https://www.jalopnik.com/2239114/toyota-lexus-cars-electric-door-handles-battery-dies/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3VnjQqbsnEmore links on site

    Waymo is 5.5 times worse than a human driver

  8. Aug 13

    Flock Cameras, Duct Tape and People are Safer than Waymo

    A loose plastic body panel sparks a debate: glue is a hidden, warranty-voiding headache, while tape is visible and replaceable. Flock license-plate cameras—useful for stopping theft, but ripe for stalking, bad data, and misuse, prompting calls for audits and safeguards and even contract drops like the LAPD’s. Auto insurers get roasted for denying more liability claims and for “household member” technicalities that can zero out coverage. Waymo takes heat for secrecy, arbitration-heavy terms, liability limits, remote assistance delays, and “superhuman” hype, plus news it’s importing Chinese Zeekr vans. Recalls: Chrysler seat belt retractors, Toyota blank instrument displays, Tesla headlamp glare, Rivian turn signals. Support the show! https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/10/us/flock-cameras-can-track-every-car-in-america-police-love-them-citizens-dont.htmlhttps://www.404media.co/lapd-regularly-pulled-over-innocent-people-because-license-plate-readers-flagged-their-cars-as-stolen/https://www.wsj.com/finance/if-you-get-in-a-car-crash-the-risk-is-growing-your-insurance-wont-pay-1522236chttps://www.hsgac.senate.gov/media/dems/peters-blumenthal-release-gao-report-finding-doge-misled-americans-about-claimed-savings/https://www.autosafety.org/podcast/terms-of-service-we-read-them-so-you-dont-have-to/https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2026/08/02/americans-cant-buy-chinese-evs-waymo-is-importing-thousands/https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/news/2026/07/17/driver-moose-crash-in-volvo-safety-design/90962301007/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V510-6120.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V511-8251.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V507-2774.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V508-6656.pdf

    Flock Cameras, Duct Tape and People are Safer than Waymo
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4.5
out of 5
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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
    219
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Center for Auto Safety
  • Show Website
    There Auto Be A Law

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