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Live from the Washington, DC Auto Show during Public Policy Day 2026, Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier sit down with Will Bright of SafeRide AI to unpack what autonomy really means—and what consumers actually want from it. After experiencing SafeRide’s technology firsthand in a Toyota Corolla, the conversation cuts through the hype around full self-driving and focuses on a simpler truth: people don’t want robot cars, they want safer and more convenient driving. Bright clearly explains the five levels of autonomy and why Level 2 driver assistance is where real, scalable impact happens today.

Drawing on his background as the founder of Drop.com, Bright explains how community-centered design—not tech obsession—led to SafeRide’s product strategy. Instead of building futuristic features for luxury vehicles, SafeRide brings advanced safety and driver-assist capabilities to everyday new and used cars through dealerships. The episode explores affordability, dealer adoption, insurance savings, and why reducing driver fatigue may be just as important as preventing accidents. The result is a grounded, practical vision for autonomy that meets consumers where they already are.

Timestamped Takeaways

0:00 – Live From the DC Auto Show at Public Policy Day 2026

0:28 – Experiencing SafeRide AI in a Real-World Drive

1:14 – The Five Levels of Autonomy Explained Simply

2:05 – Why the Line Between Level 2 and Level 3 Matters

2:35 – People Don’t Want Robot Cars, They Want Safer Driving

3:17 – Why 90% of Consumer Products Fail

4:10 – How Community-Centered Design Shaped SafeRide

5:30 – Safety and Convenience Beat Full Autonomy

6:31 – Who Will Adopt Driver Assist Technology the Fastest

7:23 – Bringing Level 2 Safety to Any New or Used Vehicle

8:40 – Why There Are No New Buttons or Learning Curves

9:30 – How Advanced Safety Can Lower Insurance Costs

Connect with Will Bright: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wbrght/

Public Policy Day 2026 is brought to you by Saferide. Learn more at Saferide.ai: https://www.saferide.ai/

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