Comma.ai wasn't originally going to be open-source, Comma.ai intended was going to be a $999 proprietary retro-fit product. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safe

Comma.ai wasn't originally going to be open-source, Comma.ai intended was going to be a $999 proprietary retro-fit product. NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) asked Hotz to delay the launch on safety grounds. He then open-sourced the software specifically to avoid regulation and safety standards. "NHTSA only regulates physical products that are sold,” Hotz said. “They do not regulate open source software, which is a whole lot more like speech.” [1] https://qz.com/849669/to-dodge-government-regulation-self-driving-car-startup-comma-ai-released-all-their-code-for-free/ https://qz.com/849669/to-dodge-government-regulation-self-dr... [2] https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/30/13779336/comma-ai-autopilot-canceled-autonomous-car-software-free https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/30/13779336/comma-ai-autopi...