Detroit: The US Government Highway Safety Agency has ordered carmakers to report any crashes involving fully autonomous vehicles or partially automatic driver assist systems.
Step Tuesday by the National Road Traffic Safety Administration shows that the agency takes a harder attitude on automatic vehicle safety than in the past.
Already reluctant to issue any regulations about new technology for fear of directing the adoption of a potentially soul-saving system.
The order requires vehicle manufacturers and equipment and companies that operate vehicles to report crashes on public roads involving full autonomous vehicles, or where the driver’s assist system operates immediately before or during an accident.
“By mandating damage reporting, the agency will have access to important data that will help quickly identify the safety issues that can arise in this automated system,” said the NHTSA Acting Administrator Steven Cliff in a statement.
The agency said it would look for potential safety defects, and this information could cause it to send an accident investigation team or open a defective investigation.
Orders came after NHTSA had sent a special investigation team up to 31 crashes involving a partially automatic driver assist system since June 2016.
Such a system can make the vehicle centered on track and the safe distance from the vehicle in front of it.
From those who fall, 25 involves the Tesla autopilot system where 10 deaths are reported, according to data issued by the agency.
Tesla and other manufacturers warn that the driver using the system must be prepared to intervene at any time.
Teslas using the system had hit the semifinals crossing in front of them, stopping emergency vehicles and road barriers.
The body is also investigating non-fatal traffic jams involving partially automated systems in the Lexus RX450H, Volvo XC-90, and two CDILLAC CT6S.
In addition, the team investigated crashes involving automatic Navya Arma’s low-speed shuttle, and other Volvo XC90 operated by Uber where a pedestrian was killed in Arizona.
The National Transportation Security Council, who has also investigated several Tesla Crashes, recommends that NHTSA and TESLA limit the use of autopilot to areas where it can operate safely.
NTSB also recommends NHTSA requires Tesla to have a better system to ensure the driver pays attention.
NHTSA hasn’t taken action on one of the recommendations.
Jason Levine, a non-profit center executive director for car safety, an advocacy group, said accident reporting was the first step by NHTSA.
The center has asked the agent to oversee automatic vehicles for several years.
“Collecting Accident Data, and hopefully data from avoided crashes can help serve the various purposes of enforcing current laws, to ensure consumer safety, and open the way for reasonable regulations to encourage the spread of sophisticated vehicles safe technology, “Levine said in an email.
Companies must report crashes that involve vehicles fully autonomous or automatically in one day of learning about them, if they involve injuries treated in hospitals, deaths, spreading air bags, pedestrians or cyclists, or serious enough for vehicles to be drawn far.
Other accidents involving vehicles equipped with systems involving injury or property damage must be reported every month.
Requirements do not apply to consumers who have automatic vehicles or dealers.
NHTSA said in a statement that data could show whether there was a general pattern in the crash involving the system.