Automakers and technology developers working on self-driving and advanced driver-assistance features are no longer required to report extensive crash data to the federal government. This change comes as a new framework was introduced by the US Department of Transportation.
The decision is viewed favorably by manufacturers of self-driving cars and the broader vehicle technology industry, who have criticized previous federal crash-reporting requirements as excessive and repetitive. However, the revised regulations will limit the amount of information accessible to those monitoring and studying autonomous vehicles and driver-assistance technologies. These technologies are crucial for public safety, yet companies often restrict access to information due to the proprietary nature of the systems, which are developed at significant costs.
According to Sam Abuelsamid, a writer in the self-driving vehicle industry and vice president of marketing at Telemetry, a research firm in Michigan, the new orders reduce access to a vital source of publicly available data related to incidents involving Level 2 systems. This encompasses driver-assistance features found in Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised), General Motors’ Super Cruise, and Ford’s Blue Cruise. Abuelsamid notes that incidents involving these systems are becoming increasingly frequent.
Under the new rules, companies are permitted to withhold certain crash details from public disclosure, including the version of automation involved and the narratives surrounding the incidents, due to claims of “confidential business information.” Developers of self-driving vehicles, such as Waymo and Zoox, are exempted from reporting crashes that result in property damage costing less than $1,000, provided these incidents do not involve autonomous vehicles crashing independently or hitting another vehicle or object. However, companies must still report incidents in states like California, where regulations are more stringent.
Furthermore, manufacturers of advanced driver-assistance systems, such as Full Self-Driving, are now required to report accidents only if they lead to fatalities, hospitalizations, airbag deployments, or involve hitting a “vulnerable road user,” such as a pedestrian or cyclist. Reporting is no longer mandatory for crashes where towing is the only outcome.
William Wallace, who oversees safety advocacy for Consumer Reports, expressed concerns, describing the changes as a significant reduction in required reporting. He noted that the changes run counter to the goals of his organization, which advocates for federal rules to counter the trend of underreporting significant incidents by advanced vehicle technology manufacturers.
The new Department of Transportation framework also enables automakers to test self-driving technology with more vehicles that do not adhere to all federal safety standards through an expanded exemption process. This process, which has been used for foreign vehicles imported into the US, now applies to domestically manufactured ones, incorporating an “iterative review” that assesses the overall safety of the vehicle. This process is intended to expedite the approval of vehicles lacking conventional features like steering wheels, brake pedals, and rearview mirrors, which are less necessary when vehicles are operated by computers.