AV Safety Data Act

This legislation, known as the AV Safety Data Act, aims to significantly improve incident reporting for certain autonomous vehicles and those equipped with advanced driver assistance systems. It mandates that the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) promulgate new regulations within 90 days of enactment. These regulations will require "covered entities," defined as manufacturers or operators subject to NHTSA's Third Amended Standing General Order 2021-01, to submit comprehensive safety data. Under the new regulations, covered entities must provide information as specified by the existing Standing General Order, along with a detailed monthly report. This monthly report must include the total miles traveled by their "covered vehicles" on public roads, disaggregated by various factors such as make, model, software version, road type, and location. Furthermore, it requires reporting on any collision involving a covered vehicle that results in injury to a vulnerable road user or an occupant of another vehicle. A key provision of the monthly report is the inclusion of extensive information on "unplanned stoppage events." These events occur when a covered vehicle, due to its automated system, stops on a public road and cannot proceed, or interferes with public transit, law enforcement, or work zones. The bill specifies over ten data points for each such event, including location, environmental conditions, and resolution details. Importantly, all information and reports submitted to NHTSA will be made publicly available in a machine-readable format on the agency's website within 120 days of the Act's enactment, fostering greater transparency.