Tesla stands to benefit significantly from a new policy shift by the Department of Transportation (DOT) that reduces crash reporting requirements for vehicles equipped with Level 2 Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). The revised rule, which reverses a previous Biden-era regulation, eases the reporting burden on automakers by eliminating the need to report tow-away crashes unless they involve injuries, fatalities, or airbag deployment.
DOT Secretary Sean Duffy framed the change as a measure to “slash red tape, spur innovation, and prioritize safety.” However, critics argue that the move reduces transparency surrounding the safety of ADAS technology, particularly Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features, which have been under intense scrutiny.
Under the previous rule, implemented in July 2021, any crash involving a Level 2 system that required a tow-away had to be reported. NHTSA data indicates that this resulted in 2,359 ADAS-related crash reports, with Tesla accounting for approximately 86 percent (2,030) of those incidents, according to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. The advocacy group estimates the new rule will eliminate roughly 240 Tesla crash reports, representing 12 percent of their total reported incidents — those involving tow-aways but no injuries, fatalities, vulnerable road users, or airbag deployments.
While regulators originally believed comprehensive data was crucial for assessing the safety implications of new automated driving technologies, Tesla executives reportedly viewed the reporting requirements as unfairly painting an inaccurate picture of their technology. The policy change follows the hiring of Elon Musk to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) who subsequently fired approximately 30 employees of NHTSA , many of them part of a department that assesses the risks of self-driving cars. While Secretary Duffy said he would allow safety investigations into Tesla’s advanced driving technology to proceed unimpeded, the reduction in staff will limit the agency’s ability to do so.