S. 3742: AV Safety Data Act

This bill, titled the AV Safety Data Act, aims to enhance the reporting of incidents involving certain types of autonomous vehicles, particularly those that use Automated Driving Systems (ADS) or Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Here is a summary of the main provisions of the bill:

Definitions

The bill provides specific definitions for key terms related to the legislation:

• Administrator: Refers to the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
• Covered entity: A manufacturer or operator of vehicles that must comply with certain existing reporting requirements.
• Covered vehicle: A vehicle equipped with either an Automated Driving System or a Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance System.
• Unplanned stoppage event: An event where a covered vehicle either stops on a public road and cannot continue without assistance or interferes with normal public transit or other activities (such as law enforcement or construction work).
• Vulnerable road user: Defined in existing traffic safety laws.

Incident Reporting Requirements

The bill mandates that the NHTSA create regulations requiring covered entities to submit specific information about their autonomous vehicles and incidents. These reports must be provided within 90 days of the bill's enactment and include:

• Monthly mileage report for each covered vehicle, including details such as make, model, and software version.
• Information on collisions involving covered vehicles, particularly those resulting in injuries.
• Details on unplanned stoppage events, such as vehicle identification, event descriptors, and the duration of the event.

Scope of Reporting for Level 2 Systems

For reports concerning vehicles with Level 2 ADAS, data must be collected only under specific conditions, such as when the system is engaged or during the 30 seconds before an unplanned stoppage. The data submitted must not include personally identifiable information about drivers.

Public Availability of Reports

Starting 120 days after the bill's enactment, the NHTSA is required to make submitted reports publicly accessible online in a format that can be easily analyzed and utilized by the public.

Revision of Regulations

After ten years from the bill's enactment, the Administrator may revisit and potentially reduce the regulations concerning the reporting requirements. However, modifications cannot happen before the ten-year mark and are subject to consistent application of the bill's standards.

Relevant Companies

• TSLA (Tesla, Inc.): As a leading manufacturer of vehicles with Automation Driving Systems, Tesla may experience increased regulatory scrutiny over its incident reporting and safety data submission processes.
• GOOGL (Alphabet Inc.): Through its Waymo subsidiary, which develops and operates autonomous vehicles, this company will need to comply with the new reporting standards.
• GM (General Motors Company): GM is involved in producing vehicles with advanced driver assistance technologies and will be subject to the enhanced reporting requirements.