Regulators are starting work on new car-door escape rules after reports of people trapped and killed in Teslas when electric latches fail, but the issue wasn’t treated as a defect requiring a recall. The conversation also blasts Tesla’s vision-only approach as NHTSA seeks an internal “Radar Saves Us” document, and argues AVs operate in a standards-free Wild West. California lawmakers push bills to force robotaxis to cooperate with first responders and allow geofencing. Waymo’s “safer than humans” claim is picked apart for shaky data and missing confidence levels. Backup cameras are praised for cutting child backover injuries and deaths, even as recalls pile up—especially Ford’s.Support Safety. Support the Show!https://electrek.co/2026/07/21/nhtsa-tesla-radar-saves-us-document-fsd-probe/https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/28/san-francisco-waymo-washington-01013227https://sfstandard.com/2026/07/22/dave-cortese-sb-1246-robotaxi-qa/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-07-26/multiple-people-injured-pico-union-collision-waymohttps://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-department-launches-new-initiative-using-ai-modernizehttps://www.iihs.org/news/detail/waymos-driverless-cars-crash-less-often-than-peoplehttps://www.jalopnik.com/2222264/iihs-says-waymos-are-safer-than-human-drivers/https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/general/do-backup-cameras-make-driving-safer/ar-AA28HHGChttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V468-6532.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V470-7045.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V458-5745.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V473-2438.pdf

Robotaxis rack up clashes with first responders in Austin, and the “training” offered is click-through PR. A critique argues autonomous-vehicle safety isn’t comparable to medicine because AVs lack rigorous independent certification, accountability, and transparency, and “edge cases” are really unsafe control failures. Tesla’s remote assistance reportedly drove a robotaxi into a stump, raising doubts about remote driving and camera-only sensing. DC debates highlight equity claims for blind riders alongside safety and exploitation risks Plus Recalls!Support Safety!https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/other/as-robotaxis-expand-in-austin-challenges-with-first-responders-highlight-limits-of-local-control/ar-AA28nqRbhttps://www.ghsa.org/resource-hub/waymo-first-responder-av-traininghttps://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/14/robotaxi-riders-falling-asleep/https://www.noemamag.com/why-we-demand-perfect-machines-yet-tolerate-human-carnage/https://electrek.co/2026/07/20/tesla-robotaxi-remote-operator-crash-houston/https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/07/16/waymo-really-wants-operate-dc-does-dc-want-waymo/https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/uber-s-robotaxi-lobbying-effort-puts-it-on-a-collision-course-with-waymo/ar-AA27NXOMhttps://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/fhwa-removes-bike-lanes-speed-cameras-safety-measures-list/825538/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V441-0046.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V451-5134.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V452-5146.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26E044-9233.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V448-4416.pdf

Phil Koopman is back. Federal regulators warned autonomous vehicle operators to fix dangerous interactions with first responders and promised meetings and recall pressure, sparking debate over NHTSA’s limited tools and the need to preserve state enforcement of driving behavior. A deep dive reframed “edge cases” as situations vehicles aren’t trained to handle—often not rare and sometimes severe—arguing geofencing and databases aren’t foolproof, while remote assistance looks like a permanent crutch with its own failure modes. There’s also a bright congestion-pricing win in NYC for ambulance times, plus recalls for Kia Telluride fire risk, Honda Odyssey camera corrosion, and Ram 1500 headlamp flicker.Support Safety!https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/av-developers-automated-vehicle-that-cannot-safely-interact-first-responders-dangerhttps://philkoopman.substack.com/p/nhtsa-broadens-scope-of-acceptablehttps://avsafety.substack.com/p/edge-cases-and-the-long-tail-of-safetyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/phil-junko-on-av-safety/id1894854190https://waymo.com/blog/2026/07/time-geo-crash-risk-effect/https://www.jalopnik.com/2212493/nyc-congestion-pricing-cut-ems-response-times-by-one-minute/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V430-6699.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V423-4353.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V421-4385.pdf

Waymo has a rough July 4th in San Francisco: robotaxis roll over live fireworks, one catches fire, and a traffic jam forms with a long line of stalled vehicles; in another case, two 15-year-olds ride one while allegedly drinking and shooting projectiles. A Tesla Semi crash kills two people, raising questions about automatic emergency braking and driver monitoring, while regulators still lack a finalized heavy-truck AEB standard. A deep dive celebrates the right-edge white line’s safety history, then critiques “independent” AV safety reviews and rosy government messaging. A model argues broad deployment of proven safety tech (AEB, speed assistance, alcohol detection) beats AV hype. Recalls cover Ford pedestrian sounds, Mach‑E differential failure, Mustang wiper glitches, and a GM third-row power-fold seat hazard.Support Auto Safetyhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/terrifying-moment-waymo-drives-exploding-205608345.htmlhttps://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/waymo-firework-fire-san-francisco-22333244.phphttps://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/dozens-waymos-clog-presidio-july-142239118.htmlhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/bay-area-teen-waymo-riders-nabbed-for-allegedly-shooting-projectiles-from-robotaxi/ar-AA27pze0More links on the site.

Regulators consider letting self-driving vehicles skip manual brake pedals—raising alarms about emergencies and unproven safety metrics. Tesla settles a deadly crash case as critics blast BS safety claims. Meanwhile, “quality” awards and China-car fearmongering get called out, Nvidia’s robotaxi safety talk is vague, steering-wheel “bling” is warned to turn airbags into shrapnel and recalls hit Hyundai, GM, Toyota/Subaru, and Ford.Support the show!https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/wayve-self-driving-technology-2e917ebdhttps://www.jalopnik.com/2203830/nhtsa-plan-autonomous-car-brakes-nearvous/https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/general/us-proposes-to-drop-brake-pedal-requirements-for-self-driving-vehicles/ar-AA26xoGuhttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/06/feds-deny-polestar-authorization-to-sell-cars-in-us-from-model-year-2027/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-musk/senator-demands-tesla-held-accountable-alleged-self-driving-crash-rcna351690https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/18/rivian-owners-file-lawsuit-alleging-false-promises-on-self-driving-features/https://www.wsj.com/business/airlines/airlines-are-installing-new-luxury-seats-but-no-one-is-allowed-to-sit-in-them-14e2878chttps://safetyresearch.net/aftermarket-car-bling-continues-to-inflict-harm/https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2026/06/30/child-hot-car-deaths-2026-data-maps/90736117007/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V400-5456.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V399-0136.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V393-3335.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V402-1380.pdf

A New York Times deep dive ties the rise of huge pickups and SUVs to pedestrian deaths, spotlighting poor visibility and high hoods that “punt” people into a run-over path, while lawmakers push the Pedestrian Protection Act to force tougher federal scrutiny and consumer ratings. Automakers deflect toward road design and hype pedestrian-braking tech even as industry fights related rules. A fatal high-speed Tesla crash raises questions about driver-assist overrides, data transparency, and whether automation breeds complacency. A peer-reviewed argument says “edge cases” are inevitable in AI cars because testing every failure combination is impossible. Meanwhile: Waymo recalls, GM revives autonomy ambitions, and Ford unleashes a blizzard of recalls—many fixing earlier failed fixes.Support the show!https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/06/21/us/trucks-suv-pedestrian-crashes.htmlhttps://scanlon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2028https://gmauthority.com/blog/2026/06/increased-pickup-and-suv-size-blamed-for-rising-pedestrian-fatalities/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/21/us/tesla-autopilot-crash-texas.htmlhttps://electrek.co/2026/06/23/tesla-fsd-katy-crash-driver-pedal/https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-senators-ask-review-teslas-full-self-driving-safety-data-citing-reuters-2026-06-16/https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/10/waymo-says-it-built-a-better-benchmark-for-comparing-robotaxis-to-humans/https://thenextweb.com/news/gm-autonomous-driving-robotaxi-sterling-anderson-super-cruisehttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26E035-7637.pdfhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/recalls/2026/06/20/car-recall-leaders-2026-ford-stellantis/90611355007/More recalls on the website.

A roast of autonomous-vehicle hype calls out bold Tesla/robotaxi cost and safety claims as unsupported, then shifts to California’s proposed replacement-tire efficiency rules and the tradeoffs between fuel economy, tread life, and tire waste. A wider look at big-profit SUVs and a snarky take on banning Chinese “surveillance” cars leads into why the EU’s AI Act matters—and what it may still miss on inspection and validation. A deep dive explains how GNSS/GPS can be jammed or spoofed, creating serious self-driving risk. The mood turns grim with a spike in driveway front-over/back-over child deaths tied to huge blind zones, then ends with road-rage stats and Arkansas taking the dubious crown.Support Safety!https://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/26/06/53077645/cathie-wood-asks-elon-musk-about-tesla-robotaxi-parking-tickethttps://youtu.be/tz23G_UXCGA?si=LoVfgLmhaMyMWe03 https://electriccarsreport.com/2026/06/toyota-to-demonstrate-liquid-hydrogen-powered-tr-lh2-racing-prototype-at-le-mans/ https://www.jalopnik.com/2187888/new-california-proposal-could-ban-enthusiast-tires/https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/06/michigan-politicians-want-to-ban-chinese-badged-cars-from-even-visiting-the-us/https://www.automotive-iq.com/generative-ai/articles/eu-ai-act-explained-for-automotive-what-changes-for-ai-vehicle-safety-adas-and-autonomous-driving https://www.wbiw.com/2026/06/09/10-children-killed-in-driveway-and-parking-lot-tragedies-in-just-18-days/https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/states-with-the-worst-road-rage

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-c169e494https://www.wsj.com/business/logistics/driverless-trucks-pepsico-texas-arizona-arkansas-ee4495f0?mod=hp_lead_pos11https://edition.cnn.com/us/waymo-robotaxis-safety-invshttps://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/bodycam-shows-cop-trying-move-102600011.htmlhttps://abc13.com/post/texas-school-districts-struggling-costs-complying-bus-seatbelt-law/19235825/https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V356-0668.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V344-7460.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V346-4589.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V363-5757.pdfhttps://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26V362-0804.pdf

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

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