U.S. Safety Agency Mandates Immediate Crash Reporting for Autonomous Vehicles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requires automakers to report severe crashes involving self-driving or partially automated vehicles within one day. The new order gives the agency critical data to quickly identify potential safety defects in advanced driving systems.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration orders automakers to report crashes involving fully autonomous or partially automated driver assist systems. This mandate marks a tougher stance from an agency that previously hesitates to regulate the technology to avoid slowing its adoption. Manufacturers and operators now share crucial safety data directly with the government.
Companies must report qualifying crashes within one day of learning about them. A crash requires a report if it involves a hospital-treated injury, a death, air bag deployment, a pedestrian or bicyclist, or if the vehicle needs towing. The reporting rule applies to SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems and SAE Levels 3 through 5 automated driving systems operating on public roads.
The agency plans to use this crash data to identify potential safety defects and deploy investigation teams when necessary. This order follows 31 previous crash investigations since 2015, including 25 crashes involving Tesla's Autopilot system that result in 10 reported deaths. NHTSA also investigates fatal and non-fatal incidents involving partially automated systems from Volvo, Cadillac, and Lexus, as well as fully automated shuttles.