The newly-passed infrastructure bill could bring major - and very positive - changes to auto safety.
Example: The bill requires that autos be equipped with tech to detect when the driver is drunk (and prevent them from driving). The alcohol industry fought this hard.
[cont'd]
The bill also pushes USDOT to (finally!) update the New Car Assessment Program (crash test dummy program), to evaluate the risk that car models pose to pedestrians and cyclists -- who are currently completely ignored.
Minimum performance standards for Advanced Driving Assistance Systems, addressing the wide (and confusing) disparities in what these systems can do right now.
And something that should worry Tesla:
An explicit focus on driver monitoring systems, including examination of "foreseeable misuse" of ADAS systems (ahem, Autopilot).
For context, this article explains how passive alcohol detection systems work. Also some stuff here about driver monitoring systems.
I wrote it a year ago, and frankly I'm stunned to see this much progress on auto safety tech in a single bill. bloomberg.com/news/features/…
And here's more info about the NCAP program, which -as Congressional Dems recognize - is in dire need of an overhaul. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
More good stuff for cyclists and pedestrians:
The infrastructure bill instructs USDOT to conduct research "focused on incorporating bicyclists and other vulnerable road users into the safe deployment of connected vehicle systems."
To be more specific, the American Beverage Institute lobbied hard against the infra bill's alcohol detection provision.
Also, much of the auto industry wanted this tech to be optional instead of mandatory on new cars, which would've defeated its purpose.
Strange but true:
The infra bill instructs USDOT to add pedestrian and cyclist safety to NCAP crash ratings.
Meanwhile, Build Back Better would incentivize heavy, tall e-trucks and SUVs ($80k cap for a $12.5k rebate) over safer sedans ($55k cap).
This month @VanMoof unveiled the V, a “hyperbike” capable of 37 mph - faster than the fastest Tour de France time trial.
VanMoof knows that regulations aren't designed for a bike like this, but CEO Ties Carlier told me he expects governments to adapt. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
In the USA, an e-bike that exceeds 28 mph falls into a regulatory limbo. State officials admitted to me that they don’t know how to treat it.
Is it a bike - or a moped, which would trigger extra rules for registration, helmet use, etc? wired.com/story/guide-to…
Congress' new reconciliation language DOES include the e-bike tax credit -- and it's back up to 30% of the e-bike's cost (the House had previously cut it to 15%).
Other core elements remain the same-- still means-tested (starting at $75k income), still requires the e-bike to cost less than $5k.
Nope! Expanded highways attract more car trips, which inevitably slows traffic down again. You can blame induced demand, a theory that economists (but not construction-loving state DOTs) have long accepted. bloomberg.com/news/features/…
Myth 2⃣: "94% of human crashes are caused by human error"
Nope! Blaming the driver alone lets others off the hook, including engineers who design dangerous roads, car companies building heavier & taller SUVs/trucks, and cities underinvesting in sidewalks.
In @Slate, my take on the controversy around Dr. Missy Cummings’ appointment at @NHTSAgov — and what it means for the Biden admin's ability to address the recklessness of Tesla Autopilot and Full-Self Driving.
A Duke professor and human factors expert, Cummings is well qualified for the role, which requires working w/carmakers, tech co's, gov officials, and advocacy groups.
A backlash has come from the company whose pattern of disregarding safety gives it the most to lose: Tesla.
Cummings has been vocal about the dangers of Autopilot and Full-Self Driving (I interviewed her for this piece last December).
But that doesn't mean she's biased -- it makes her realistic and knowledgable, like Lina Khan criticizing Facebook. slate.com/technology/202…
Public officials could powerfully improve urban lives by emphasizing **access** (easily reachable destinations) instead of **speed** (fast roads + rail).
A 🧵 about this new-ish book (2019), which explains why -- and how.