A recent decision by the Trump administration has modified regulations concerning crash reporting for autonomous vehicles, a change experts predict will significantly impact Tesla. The revised Automated Vehicle Framework alters a prior rule established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under the Biden administration.
Previously, the 2021 Standing General Order (SGO) mandated the reporting of crashes involving both fully autonomous vehicles and Level 2 driver-assist systems (like Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving) if the system was engaged within 30 seconds of the incident. Tesla reported over 1,500 crashes under this mandate. Now, reporting is only required for crashes involving Level 4 autonomous driving systems, such as those utilized by Waymo. Accidents involving Level 2 systems are exempt unless a fatality or vulnerable road user (pedestrian or cyclist) is involved.
This shift is anticipated to disproportionately benefit Tesla, whose Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features are categorized as Level 2 systems. Experts claim that the new policy will eliminate a significant portion of the crash reports Tesla was previously required to submit.
Critics argue that the policy change favors Tesla, alleging that the company’s CEO, Elon Musk, who publicly supported Trump, actively lobbied for the repeal of the original rule, which Tesla deemed overly burdensome. The administration defends the changes as a measure to streamline regulations, foster innovation, and maintain safety standards. They also expanded the Automated Vehicle Exemption Program (AVEP). However, the changes are also expected to result in less transparency regarding the safety performance of various autonomous vehicle technologies.