Barron’s reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released “a standing general order for the auto industry that requires manufacturers and operators of Automated Driving Systems (ADS) and SAE Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) equipped vehicles to report crashes to the agency.” The move will “give NHTSA additional data on crashes involving ADS and ADAS equipped vehicles[,] Steve Cliff, NHTSA administrator, said in a video announcing the order.”
ConsumerAffairs reports NHTSA “is taking this action after a number of accidents involving Teslas in which the cars’ Autopilot system was engaged.” The agency said that data from these accidents will allow it to maintain a database of incidents and their causes and if driver-assist technology played a role. NHTSA Acting Administrator Dr. Steven Cliff said, “NHTSA’s core mission is safety. By mandating crash reporting, the agency will have access to critical data that will help quickly identify safety issues that could emerge in these automated systems. In fact, gathering data will help instill public confidence that the federal government is closely overseeing the safety of automated vehicles.”
From the news release of the American Association for Justice.
