NHTSA Wants More Data on Robotaxi Crashes
Published Date: 5/26/2026
Notice
Summary
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is asking for approval to continue collecting reports on crashes and incidents involving self-driving cars and advanced driver help systems. They’ve made the reporting easier and more focused on safety, which helps car makers and safety experts. If you have thoughts, speak up by June 25, 2026, because this affects companies working with these smart car technologies and aims to keep roads safer without extra hassle.
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Who Must File ADS/ADAS Reports
If you are a manufacturer or operator named in NHTSA's Standing General Order, you must submit incident reports for crashes on publicly accessible U.S. roads involving Automated Driving Systems (ADS) or Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Reports are required when the vehicle or system was manufactured or operated by the reporting entity and the ADS/ADAS was engaged during the 30 seconds immediately before a crash and the crash resulted in hospital transport, a fatality, an air bag deployment, the strike of a vulnerable road user, (and for ADS also vehicle tow away). Initial reports for specified crashes must be filed within five calendar days; other incident reports and updates are due by the 15th day of the following month.
Estimated Reporting Burden And Costs
NHTSA estimates about 110 reporting entities will submit roughly 9,574 incident reports per year, totaling 19,208 annual burden hours and an estimated annual labor cost of approximately $2,425,778. NHTSA estimates about 2 hours to prepare each report and an average weighted hourly wage of about $126.29 used in the cost calculation.
Streamlined Reporting Cuts Burden
NHTSA says this reinstated collection includes modifications that streamline reporting and sharpen the focus on safety. NHTSA estimates the total annual burden hours fall to 19,208 under this version, down from 31,319 under the previously approved collection.
Monthly Public Data With Redactions
NHTSA will make General Order incident report data publicly available and update it monthly, but reports will have redactions for personally identifiable information (PII) and information claimed as confidential business information (CBI). NHTSA will not release unredacted PII/CBI to third parties and will review CBI/PII claims for possible future release consistent with law.
Federal Consistency Over State Patchwork
NHTSA states a policy goal to maintain comprehensive and consistent Federal reporting requirements to reduce a patchwork of State laws and reporting formats, and says it is not inclined to change Federal requirements to avoid conflicts with overlapping State requirements.
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