WASHINGTON:
The Trump transition team wants to drop a car-crash reporting requirement opposed by Elon Musk’s Tesla, according to a document seen by Reuters, a move that could cripple the government’s ability to investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems.
Crash Reporting
NHTSA’s so-called standing general order requires automakers to report crashes if advanced driver-assistance or autonomous-driving technologies were engaged within 30 seconds of impact, among other factors. In addition to ditching the reporting rule, the recommendations call for the administration to "liberalise" autonomous-vehicle regulation and to enact "basic regulations to enable development" of the industry.
More Data, More Crashes
Tesla is among the most prominent automakers developing advanced driver-assistance features, which can assist with lane changes, driving speed and steering. Tesla’s autopilot and full self-driving systems, which are not fully autonomous, have come under intense scrutiny in lawsuits and a department of justice (DOJ) criminal probe is examining whether Tesla exaggerated its vehicles’ self-driving capabilities, misleading investors and harming consumers.
Tesla’s Perspective
Tesla despises the crash-notification requirement, believing that NHTSA presents the data in ways that mislead consumers about the automaker’s safety, two sources familiar with Tesla executives’ thinking told Reuters. In recent years, Tesla executives discussed with Musk the need to push for scrapping the crash-reporting requirement, according to one of the sources. But because Biden officials expressed enthusiasm for the programme, Tesla executives ultimately concluded that they would need a change in administration to get rid of the requirements, according to the source.
NHTSA’s Position
NHTSA cautions that the data should not be used to compare one automaker’s safety to another because different companies collect information on crashes in different ways. Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor who focuses on autonomous driving, said Tesla collects real-time crash data that other companies don’t and likely reports a "far greater proportion of their incidents" than other automakers.
Conclusion
The potential removal of the crash-reporting requirement could have significant implications for the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems. As the industry continues to develop and deploy these technologies, it is crucial that regulators and consumers have access to accurate and comprehensive data to ensure the safety of all road users.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the purpose of the crash-reporting requirement?
The crash-reporting requirement is designed to help NHTSA investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems. - How does Tesla view the crash-reporting requirement?
Tesla believes that NHTSA presents the data in ways that mislead consumers about the automaker’s safety and that the requirement is unfair because it reports better data than other automakers. - What are the potential implications of removing the crash-reporting requirement?
Removing the requirement could cripple the government’s ability to investigate and regulate the safety of vehicles with automated-driving systems, potentially putting road users at risk.