Jun 2021

NHTSA Oversight of Automated Vehicles

The nation’s top highway safety agency issued an order Tuesday requiring automakers and other operators of vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems or fully automated driving systems to report crashes.

As part of the order, NHTSA is requiring vehicle, equipment and software manufacturers of ADAS and automated vehicles to report crashes where the system was engaged “during or immediately before the crash.”

“NHTSA’s core mission is safety,” Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s acting administrator, said in a statement. “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.” By gathering data, Cliff said, it “will help instill public confidence that the federal government is closely overseeing the safety of automated vehicles.”