Summary
- Trump transition team considering no longer requiring crash reports for automated driving systems
- Tesla and other companies testing automation would benefit from not having to report accidents
- NHTSA currently requires reports of crashes involving advanced driver-assistance or automated driving
- President-elect Trump’s team is urging to remove this requirement to streamline regulation for self-driving vehicles
- Many companies, including Tesla, could benefit from this change in reporting requirements
Article
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is considering removing the requirement for automakers to report crashes involving automated driving systems, a move that would favor companies like Tesla and others testing autonomous technologies. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) currently mandates reporting of crashes if advanced driver-assistance systems or automated driving tech was active within 30 seconds of the incident. However, Trump’s team is advocating for the elimination of this requirement to streamline the regulatory processes for self-driving vehicles.
Tesla would be one of the primary beneficiaries if this crash-disclosure provision is removed, as the company has reported over 1,500 crashes to federal safety regulators under the current program. CEO Elon Musk has criticized the federal approval process for autonomous vehicles as “incredibly painful,” and his relationship with Trump could be advantageous in navigating regulatory hurdles. In addition to Tesla, other companies developing autonomous technologies would also benefit from the removal of the reporting requirement.
The NHTSA has collected data on more than 2,700 crashes involving partially automated driving technologies since 2021 and conducted investigations into six companies, including GM’s Cruise, which was fined $1.5 million for failing to report an incident. By eliminating the need to report accidents involving automation, some companies could avoid negative publicity associated with crashes. However, there should still be transparency with consumers regarding the safety and performance of self-driving vehicles to ensure public trust and confidence in these technologies.
Overall, Trump’s transition team’s consideration of ditching automated driving crash reports reflects a broader effort to create a more favorable regulatory environment for autonomous vehicles. By removing reporting requirements, companies like Tesla and others testing self-driving technologies would be able to navigate regulatory processes more efficiently. While the move could benefit companies by mitigating negative publicity from accidents, transparency with consumers remains essential to build trust and confidence in the safety of autonomous vehicles. Ultimately, the decision to eliminate crash reporting requirements will have implications for the development and adoption of self-driving technologies in the United States.
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