NHTSA Issues New Order on Vehicle Crash Data Collection

July 2, 2021

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a Standing General Order on June 29 requiring manufacturers and operators of vehicles equipped with SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) or SAE Levels 3-5 automated driving systems (ADS) to report crashes that occur on U.S. public roads.

[Above photo by Google]

NHTSA’s reporting requirements include the following stipulations:

  • Within one day of learning of a crash, companies must report crashes involving a Level 2 ADAS or Levels 3-5 ADS-equipped vehicle that also involve a hospital-treated injury, a fatality, a vehicle tow-away, an air bag deployment, or a vulnerable road user such as a pedestrian or bicyclist. An updated report is due 10 days after learning of the crash.
  • Every month, companies must report all other crashes involving an ADS-equipped vehicle that involve an injury or property damage.
  • Update reports monthly with new or additional information.
  • Submit reports for any reportable crash, about which a company receives notice, beginning 10 days after it receives the order.
  • Submit reports to NHTSA electronically using a form that requires important information regarding the crash. NHTSA will use this information to identify crashes for follow-up.

The order requires vehicle and equipment – including software – manufacturers of Level 2 ADAS or Levels 3-5 ADS systems and vehicles and operators of ADS-equipped vehicles to report crashes involving the engagement of Level 2 ADAS or Level 3-5 ADS systems during or immediately before the crash.

Photo by Google.

NHTSA said that data would help identify potential safety issues and impacts resulting from the operation of advanced technologies on public roads and increase transparency. Access to ADS data may show whether there are common patterns in driverless vehicle crashes or systematic problems in operation, the agency added

“NHTSA’s core mission is safety. 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,” said Steven Cliff, NHTSA’s acting administrator, in a statement.

“In fact, gathering data will help instill public confidence that the federal government is closely overseeing the safety of automated vehicles,” he added.

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