Volkswagen and Porsche recall over 500,000 US vehicles for models between 2019-2026

Bad news!

US agency eases some self-driving safety rules, sending Tesla stock soaring

Good news!

"Summary

• NHTSA revises reporting requirements for self-driving incidents
• DOT secretary says US must beat China in autonomous vehicle race
• NHTSA will allow automakers exemptions from some safety rules

"

US agency eases some self-driving safety rules, sending Tesla stock soaring | Reuters

NHTSA Closes Safety Investigation of Cruise Robotaxis while GM closed down Cruise. Really!

Bad news! Waymo can use some competition!

This was just one accident!!! How much was the pedestrian actually at fault? Or had a human driver avoided the accident in the same situation?

Had the NHTSA already existed when Henry Ford invented his first Quadricycle in 1896, we would still be driving in horse carriages in 2025!!! (or other countries would have developed cars)

"U.S. auto safety regulators ended a federal investigation into Cruise robotaxis without taking action, removing an overhang weeks after General Motors Co. decided to shutter the struggling business.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had opened a preliminary evaluation in late 2023 to determine potential safety risks from Cruise’s driverless vehicles. The company drew heavy scrutiny following an incident in October of that year in which a car hit and dragged a pedestrian, causing serious injuries. ..."

NHTSA Closes Safety Investigation of Cruise Robotaxis | Transport Topics

NHTSA investigates Waymo self-driving vehicles

I hope, the licenses etc. of Waymo will not be suspended or even revoked. Hopefully, no human thumb twiddling safety driver will be required going forward.

It appears humans were not harmed or not harmed seriously. I suspect, the physical damages were also of minor nature.

I have little doubt the underlying issues can be and will be fixed soon.

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into Alphabet’s Waymo self-driving vehicles following reports of unexpected behavior and traffic safety violations. The investigation, sparked by 22 incidents including 17 collisions, focuses on the performance of approximately 444 Waymo vehicles. Some of these incidents involved the vehicles disobeying traffic safety devices and colliding with stationary or semi-stationary objects like gates and parked cars. This probe is part of a broader scrutiny of self-driving technology, including previous investigations into GM’s Cruise and Amazon’s Zoox. The NHTSA's preliminary evaluation aims to determine if Waymo's automated driving systems present an unreasonable safety risk, potentially leading to a recall."

Last Week in AI #271: Multimodal AI assistants from Google and OpenAI, OpenAI's superalignment team disbanded, NHTSA investigates Waymo, and more!

NHTSA Study: Over 54% of severe car crash drivers in the U.S. had drugs or alcohol in their systems

With individual liberty comes increased individual responsibility! Legalization of drugs and alcohol without corresponding penalties and punishment is a recipe for disaster! Leniency is a bad policy! Intoxicated drivers should look at serious jail time and very high fines! No excuses!

What about those who become victims of intoxicated irresponsible drivers?

"... over 54% of injured drivers had drugs or alcohol in their systems, with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an active ingredient in marijuana, the most prevalent, followed by alcohol, the study published Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found. ..."

From the abstract:

"Abstract

Over the last few decades, interest in how drugs other than alcohol may be affecting roadway safety has increased. Studies conducted by NHTSA and others have provided substantial insights on the topic of drugged driving, but a gap in knowledge exists regarding drug prevalence among drivers and other road users such as pedestrians and bicyclists who are seriously or fatally injured in crashes in the United States. The current study sought to fill this gap by examining drug prevalence among a large sample (N = 7,279) of seriously injured

roadway users presenting to seven selected trauma centers and fatally injured crash victims presenting directly to four medical examiners at selected sites. Overall, 55.8% of the injured or killed roadway users tested positive for one or more drugs (including alcohol) on this study’s toxicology panel. The most prevalent drug category detected was cannabinoids (active THC) with 25.1% positive, followed by alcohol (23.1%), stimulants (10.8%), and opioids (9.3%). Overall, 19.9% of the roadway users tested positive for two or more categories of drugs. For drivers specifically, the results showed associations of drug positivity with age, sex, time of crash, and day of crash (weekday versus weekend). The results in this report provide a first look at drug prevalence among a large sample of seriously or fatally injured roadway users. This study’s results can only be used to describe drug

prevalence among the specific populations sampled and with full awareness of the study’s limitations. The study results should not be used to imply impairment or increased risk associated with drug presence. Future similar research at these sites or others across the country could be used for monitoring changes in drugged driving over time and could inform traffic safety stakeholders to better tailor impaired driving countermeasures for particular regions or types of road users"

Study: Over half of car crash victims had drugs or alcohol in their systems : NPR

Alcohol and Drug Prevalence Among Seriously or Fatally Injured Road Users

Shut Down The NHTSA

Posted: 10/19/2014

Trigger

Just read “Misguided Regulations Threaten Automated Vehicle Innovation”.

Unfortunately, for lack of time I am not able to more thoroughly expose what the NHTSA is and what it does.

A Retarder Of Progress

Like the FDA, the NHTSA is one other big, soviet style federal bureaucracy that does more to stymie human progress than anything else. Like the infamous stagnation of progress of the old fashioned land line telephone that survived several decades without major changes thanks to a big government granted monopoly to ATT.

The NHTSA is probably largely superfluous. If cars a produced and sold with defects causing harm or death, then this is primarily a job for a prosecutor or for tort lawyers.

The private sector is probably quite capable to come up with its own and, quite possibly, better solutions to increase motor vehicle safety etc.

Most Americans Probably Clueless

I would bet that most Americans have no or little clue that this agency even exists or what extensive power it wields to interfere with almost anything related to motor vehicles in this country.

Thanks to public education and due to other reasons most Americans are left in the dark about NHTSA.

Example Rearview Camera

Recently, more manufacturers install by default rearview cameras in their vehicles. This is great!

However, from what I read again the NHTSA wants to be a bully and regulate the rearview camera to become a mandated feature etc. Once the NHTSA regulates this, new and better technologies will be delayed or even not introduced.

Why Can We Not Buy Indian Cars In The U.S.?

I would bet you one of the reasons is the NHTSA!

Why Are There Not More Smaller Automobile Manufacturers In The U.S.

Why are there only three big national automobile manufacturers in the U.S. and not also some succesful medium sized or smaller vehicle manufacturers? Don’t believe that it was solely the three big national manufacturers that eliminated the competition.

I bet you it has something to do with big government and the NHTSA!

Smart Car Headlights Are Coming

Posted: 9/28/2014

Trigger

Just read “Smart Headlight Illuminates the Road without Blinding Other Drivers Computerized headlights could eliminate glare from oncoming cars while improving visibility.”. It is about time!

Notes

1. Without Big Government’s constant interference in car manufacturing (e.g. NHTSA) we would have better cars a long time ago
2. Federal agencies like the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) should be phased out as quickly as possible and be replaced by a far less powerful and less interventionist agency. The NHTSA is a relic of the United Socialist States of America
3. More devolution of federal power to states with the requirement of reciprocity so that a citizen of one state can e.g. by a car in any state and drive it in his home state.

Repeal Big Governments Rear View Camera Mandate

Trigger

Just read “NHTSA’s Rearview Camera Mandate”.

Living In A Nanny State Like The U.S.

For decades, the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and/or the federal government have been meddling way too much with the automobile sector of the U.S. This agency has issued tons and tons of regulations to strangulate the industry and to stymie innovation.

As if the federal government is still reading Ralph Nader’s controversial book “Unsafe at any speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile” published in 1965 every 24 hours.

What’s Wrong With Rear Camera Mandate?

Short answer: A lot!

As is often the case, it sounds convincing at first!

Simply unconstitutional! It is a violation of private property rights and freedom of contract for the purported benefit of more safety.

Second, by promulgating such a federal mandate future innovation will be stifled. What if lasers or radar turns out to be better?

Finally, and not least important let the consumers decide and demand whether they want such a feature or not. I personally like a rear view camera. It has its benefits.