A controversial bill that would require all new cars to be fitted with AM radios looks set to become a law in the near future. Yesterday, Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass) revealed that the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act” now has the support of 60 US Senators, as well as 246 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, making its passage an almost sure thing. Should that happen, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would be required to ensure that all new cars sold in the US had AM radios at no extra cost.
AM radios are incredibly cheap and simple, and they’re the primary means of communicating traffic and weather information.
Should note that they also don’t cost anything to receive information, unlike digital data services. So as long as your car has power, it’ll have a radio receiver. This, unlike mobile internet, which can cost in the neighborhood of $50-150/mo for the same access. And which don’t work in rural areas with poor wifi coverage.