U.S. safety regulators require crash reporting of vehicles with advanced safety systems
By Ben Klayman
DETROIT, June 29 (Reuters) - U.S. safety regulators on Tuesday issued an order requiring automakers and operators of vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance or automated driving systems to immediately report crashes, allowing the industry to spot issues faster.
The new order comes amid increased scrutiny of such systems, especially Tesla Inc with its Autopilot system.
The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) earlier this month said it had opened 30 investigations into Tesla crashes involving 10 deaths since 2016 where advanced driver assistance systems were suspected of use.
"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," Steven Cliff, the NHTSA's Acting Administrator, said in Tuesday's statement. "In fact, gathering data will help instill public confidence that the federal government is closely overseeing the safety of automated vehicles." (Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
