The Weekly Driver Podcast

The Weekly Driver Podcast


#281, Automotive legend: Ralph Teetor

January 29, 2024

A strong argument could be made that Ralph Teetor is responsible for what is now called autonomous driving.

Blind since he was a young boy, Teetor invented cruise control in the 1940s. It was one of more than 40 patents granted to a native of Indiana who died in 1982.

Inventor Ralph Teetor.

Teetor will be inducted posthumously into the National Inventors Hall of Fame on May 9 in Washington, D.C.

Jack Teetor, the inventor's great-nephew, is our guest this week on The Weekly Driver Podcast.

Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Teetor the family legacy and the fascinating life of his great-uncle.

Teetor has spent many years making the documentary film “Blind Logic: The Ralph R. Teetor Story.” Screenings of the film are scheduled throughout the county in the coming months.

As Teetor shares, his great-uncle was remembered primarily for his invention of cruise control. But his life was remarkable in many ways.

In our interview, Teetor details the circumstances of his great uncle's blindness and well as how the disability didn't stop the inventor from achieving his goals.

Please join us for an intriguing episode on Ralph R. Teetor and presented by Jack Teetor.

For more information about Jack or Ralph Teetor, visit: www.blindlogicproductions.com.

For more information about the National Inventors Hall of Fame, visit: https://www.invent.org