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DOT Secretary Wants More Rigorous Reviews Of Robotic Cars

July 19, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span class="dateline">SAN FRANCISCO -- </span>U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Tuesday that he wants government regulators and the auto industry to work more closely together to test self-driving technology before people entrust their vehicle's steering and brakes to a robot.</p>

Op-Ed: Approval Process Must Slow

July 18, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Op-Ed Commentary by Joan Clay­brook and Jamie Court Joan Clay­book is a for­mer ad­min­is­tra­tor of the Na­tional High­way Traf­fic Safety Ad­min­is­tra­tion. Jamie Court is pres­i­dent of Con­sumer Watch­dog.</p> <p> </p>

Self-Driving Cars: Consumer Groups Want Government To Hit Brakes

July 18, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>As automakers race to create cars that can drive themselves, a growing chorus of consumer advocates is demanding that the companies — and their federal regulators — slow down.</p>

Could Updates Fix Tesla’s Autopilot Woes?

July 18, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>Tesla head Elon Musk says that an over-the-air software update could lead to 'significant improvements.'</b></p> <div class="eza-body clearfix" id="story-body"> <p>As a controversy around Tesla’s Autopilot feature continues to ramp up, chief executive Elon Musk is attempting to reassure owners that the partially autonomous system could receive “significant improvements.”</p>

Stop The Human Testing Self-Driving Tesla Autopilot Insanity, Says Consumer Groups

July 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>Consumer groups are calling for the testing of autonomous technology with live humans on the road using the Tesla Autopilot to be stopped after the death of <a href="http://www.autoconnectedcar.com/2016/06/first-tesla-death-with-autopilot/">Joshua Brown.</a> Consumer Reports warns that consumers should never be guinea pigs. Consumer Watchdog is spearheading several efforts including a white truck protest next week, a video, letter to the President from a coaltion of safety advocates and a call on the public to protest via a letter writing campaign.</p>

Consumer Advocacy Groups Want US Government To Pump The Brakes On Self-Driving Cars After Tesla Crashes

July 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><em><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><span><span class="image on-image" data-post-image=""><img alt="Google's and Chrysler's plans for their self driving minivans" data-mce-source="Google's and Chrysler's plans for their self-driving minivans" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/572b4ee752bcd0210c8c0e7d-700/google%27s%20and%20chrysler%27s%20plans%20for%20their%20self-driving%20minivans.png" /><span class="source-only"><span class="source"><span>Google's and Chrysler's plans for their self-driving minivans</span></span></span></span></span>

Safety Advocates Decry ‘Undue Haste’ In Putting Self-Driving Cars On Road

July 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p>WASHINGTON (July 14, 2016) — A coalition of auto safety advocates has written President Barack Obama condemning the speed at which the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are approving the use of self-driving cars.</p> <p>“It is time to stop your administration’s undue haste to get autonomous vehicle technology on the road,” stated the advocates led by Joan Claybrook, former NHTSA administrator and president emeritus of Public Citizen, in the letter dated July 13.</p>

Consumer Groups Try To Put The Brakes On Self-Driving Cars

July 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><b>'Consumers should never be guinea pigs for beta programs'</b></p> <p>Consumer organizations are trying to rein in what they see as premature attempts to put self-driving cars on the nation's highways. Consumer Reports magazine, a part of nonprofit Consumers Union, wants Tesla to disable its Autopilot feature, and a coalition of consumer groups wants President Obama to put the brakes on his administration's "undue haste" to put self-driving cars on the road.</p>

Consumer Reports Joins In Asking Tesla To Turn Off Autopilot, Tesla Still Says No

July 15, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p class="canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)--sm Mt(0.8em)--sm canvas-atom" data-reactid=".1onuof61b5q.$0.0.0.1.2.0.2.0.0.$Col1-0-ContentCanvas-Proxy.$Col1-0-ContentCanvas.0.4.0:$0" data-type="text" style="letter-spacing:.01em;">It’s beginning to feel like piling on.

Consumer Groups: Stop Adoption of Driverless Cars Until They’re Safe

July 13, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<div class="entry-content"> <p>Four consumer advocacy groups called on the Obama administration to halt its plan to assimilate driverless cars onto America’s roads until “adequate Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards covering autonomous technologies are implemented through a public rulemaking process.”</p> <p>The coalition said the need for such rules is underscored by a May 7 crash of a Tesla Model S operating in Autopilot mode that killed the vehicle’s driver.</p>

Auto Safety Advocates Want Autonomous Tech Off The Road

July 13, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><span itemprop="articleBody">In the wake news involving a traffic fatality when a <a href="http://www.ccjdigital.com/tesla-in-autonomous-mode-hits-truck-kills-passenger-dot-investigating/">Tesla in Autopilot mode collided with a semi trailer</a> earlier this year, a coalition of auto safety advocates Wednesday called on President Barack Obama to stop what they called his “administration’s undue haste to get autonomous vehicle technology to the road” until enforceable safety standards are in place.</span></p>

Consumer Groups: Hit The Brakes On Self-Driving Cars

July 13, 2016  ·  Mark Reback

<p><i>Washington</i> — Consumer and safety advocates are urging the federal government to pump the brakes on self-driving cars after a series of crashes involving Tesla vehicles that were operating with their automated driving system activated, including one crash that was fatal.</p>