Revised Crash Reporting Rules Ease Burden on Tesla, Raise Safety Concerns Among Experts
The Center for Auto Safety is the nation’s premier independent, member driven, non-profit consumer advocacy organization dedicated to improving vehicle safety, quality, and fuel economy on behalf of all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Consumer protection groups and automotive safety advocates have expressed alarm at the rule change. Michael Brooks, Executive Director of the Center for Auto Safety, warned that excluding less severe incidents from reporting could hinder the early detection of systemic flaws in ADAS systems.
“These lower-severity crashes still offer vital clues about the safety performance of autonomous technologies,” Brooks said. “Eliminating them from federal oversight is like ignoring the warning signs on a faulty product until someone gets seriously hurt.”
By Samir Gautam
April 30, 2025
In a major policy shift, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced a rollback of key provisions in a Biden-era crash-reporting mandate, significantly reducing the number of incidents automakers must report when autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles are involved in collisions.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy characterized the revision as a move to “slash red tape” and streamline federal regulations in pursuit of a “single national standard that spurs innovation and prioritizes safety.” However, critics argue the change may limit public transparency at a critical juncture in the evolution of automated driving technologies.
Among the companies expected to benefit most from the new rule is Tesla, whose vehicles, equipped with its Level 2 Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems—have historically dominated crash reports filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Since July 2021, when the original Standing General Order (SGO) was enacted, NHTSA recorded 2,359 crashes involving Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Tesla alone reported 2,030 of those crashes—an overwhelming 86 percent, according to data compiled by the nonprofit Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
Under the revised policy, automakers no longer need to report crashes involving Level 2 systems that result in a tow-away, so long as there are no injuries, fatalities, airbag deployments, or vulnerable road users involved. An analysis of Tesla’s reported data reveals that 240 of its crashes—about 12 percent—fall into this now-exempt category.