With the second iteration of the Trump administration only days away, some are wondering how the incoming president's likely lackadaisical stance on regulations will affect the U.S. And questions about auto safety are high on the list.

What did the commentators say?
Many of the concerns revolve around self-driving cars, such as those manufactured by Tesla. There are currently "no federal regulations that specifically govern autonomous vehicles, and any regulation is left to states," though federal guidelines have been proposed, said The Associated Press.

It's not only cars, as some are worried about trucking regulations under the new administration. Not only did Trump "promise to reduce regulation, but incoming Vice President J.D. Vance, while in the U.S. Senate, co-sponsored legislation to block the proposal requiring truckers to use speed limiters," said the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

The "last time the Trump administration was in the White House, they did not advance safety regulations," Harry Adler, a principal at the Institute for Safer Trucking, said to the Post-Gazette. Autonomous vehicle executives, though, are "excited by the prospect of Republicans using their new power to set standards that will help them expand from a handful of cities to communities across the nation," said The Washington Post.

There are also hopes by advocacy groups that Trump will help them slash drunk driving fatalities. He "could be motivated by his personal approach to alcohol," as he does not drink due to his brother's alcohol-related death, said The Detroit News.

What next?
Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Transportation, Sean Duffy, has said he intends to allow a federal probe into Tesla's autonomous driving system. He additionally "committed to prioritizing safety on the roadways and in the air" during his confirmation hearings, said NPR. Duffy appears likely to be confirmed by the Senate, and the automotive industry is "bracing for seismic policy change," said Automotive World.

As the Los Angeles County wildfires continue to burn, 27 people have died, more than 12,300 structures across Los Angeles have been destroyed, and "entire communities" have been reduced to "piles of ash," said USA Today. A "preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss" is "between $135 billion and $150 billion," said AccuWeather. But while this month's fires rank as the most destructive in L.A. history, they have not been as damaging as others in the Golden State. 

Tubbs Fire (2017)
Impacting parts of Lake, Napa and Sonoma Counties, this fire is remembered for its speed. The blaze "vaulted the seemingly insurmountable barrier of Highway 101 — six lanes, plus a median and shoulders — before it laid waste" to the area in just four hours, said The Press Democrat. 

In one day, the wildfire caused 22 deaths and destroyed 5,600 structures, including 3,000 homes. The cause was a "private electrical system adjacent to a residential structure," said NBC News. 

Camp Fire (2018) 
This fire ranks as the most destructive and deadliest wildfire in California history. It killed 85 people and burned over 150,000 acres in northern Butte County. 

In the town of Paradise, residents were "hit from three sides by massive walls of fire," said Butte County officials. The inferno was "caused by the failure of a worn and neglected piece of Pacific Gas & Electric equipment on a transmission tower," said The Associated Press. 

August Complex Fire (2020) 
Started by lightning strikes in the forests of Northern California, this fire is the largest in California history by area. Burning 935 structures, it was considered a gigafire, a blaze that burns at least 1 million acres.

California's wildfires have "increased in size eightfold since the 1970s," said CNN. And the "annual area burned by fires has increased by nearly 500%."