The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently issued a Standing General Order requiring manufacturers and operators of vehicles equipped with certain automated systems to report crashes where the system was engaged during or immediately before the crash.
The order applies to SAE Levels 3-5 automated driving systems (ADS) and SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
ADS-equipped vehicles are not currently sold to consumers but are in limited use on public roads. Level 2 ADAS are found in many new vehicles and provide driver-assist functions such as adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance.
The order requires crashes to be reported within one day of a crash that involves a Levels 3-5 ADS or Level 2 ADAS-equipped vehicle and a hospital-treated injury, a fatality, a vehicle tow-away, an airbag deployment, or a vulnerable road user.
All other crashes involving an ADS-equipped vehicle that involve an injury or property damage must be reported monthly.
“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,” NHTSA Acting Administrator Steven Cliff said. “In fact, gathering data will help instill public confidence that the federal government is closely overseeing the safety of automated vehicles.”