Options on a Ford F-150 more than $82.15 include floor liners ($200), an illuminated badge ($530), an ash cup with lighter ($135)

But, you can't select their Copilot360 Assist 2.0 safety technology without selecting at least the Lariat trim level - starting at $59,560 more than $20k over the base

Absolutely

And automakers won't even really be saving on tech development costs because:
1) Europe requires pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) and automakers are global, and
2) Automakers are strategically investing in AV tech, which is much more expensive and difficult than AEB

"the incremental cost per vehicle [of Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking] is estimated at $82.15 for each design cycle change of the model.

In 2023 NHTSA estimated a cost per life saved of between $500,000 and $620,000

www.regulations.gov/document/NHT...

Airbags were similarly opposed

"Auto makers, who have been fighting the introduction of air bags for nearly a decade as too costly and only marginally effective" www.latimes.com/archives/la-...

The seat belts lauded today were opposed in the past

"It took nearly 10 years, January 1964, before 'the auto industry... accepted the proposition that seat belts should be standard equipment with all new cars" www.streetsareforeveryone.org/blog/why-doe...

Affordability for vehicle safety tech could be improved by regulation

If it's mandated then tech has volume and likely lower cost per unit

If it's not mandated, then tech is often bundled in premium packages at greater cost to the consumer

Mandates could increase access/lower cost for consumers

“I have never had anyone come to me in my 33 years in the Minnesota House say, ‘Greg, we need these cameras so we can get more tickets.’” 🙄

That's probably never happened because the point isn't to get more tickets. The point is to slow down lawbreaking speeders and make streets safer

Despite a century of auto-focused development, there are still many people who bike and walk regularly.

There is no future where people don't walk and bike

Planning for, and addressing the safety of, people biking and walking is planning for the future usa.streetsblog.org/2025/11/12/g...

"We have to anticipate where [AV] technology is taking us and put together a bill that addresses it" - Rep. Sam Graves (R–MO), Chair of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

There are far more e-bikes than AVs on the road today, and that will continue to be the case in the future

"[in a few years] my hope would be that the system has enabled unharnessed competition within the United States automotive space—meeting and exceeding safety standards"

To meet and exceed safety standards you need to establish them, which NHTSA has been exceedingly slow to do

Claiming "continued safety innovation" is one thing

Proving it is another

"NHTSA can no longer sit back and wait for problems to arise with such developing technologies but must demonstrate strong leadership"

NHTSA can start by publicly testing technology as most countries already do

If emissions motivated moped regulations, does that mean they might be less instructive for e-moto regulation?

When I ride my road bike I can somewhat easily go faster than when I ride my Class 1 E-MTB

Class 3 e-bikes, with speeds up to 28 mph while pedaled, would be left out with a 20 mph cutoff

E-motos like this seem to undermine the class/governor system www.happyrunsports.com/products/hap...

E.g. this proposed bill in New Jersey that would remove the classification system for e-bikes and require insurance, a driver's license, and registration for all e-bikes

All e-bikes would be banned from paths and trails

www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/...

It seems like we had cheaper vehicles that then went away - and now we're even more dependent on expensive cars/trucks

Did we figure out how to regulate them in a productive way or did we regulate them out of widespread use? Or did they fade due to the oil crisis/"malaise" era for autos ending?

I wrote that several years ago, and still feel like it's probably correct, but I also haven't seen places embrace the approach

And there are a lot of overly restrictive e-bike policies being proposed that fail to distinguish between vehicle classes - which points to some need for class-based laws