California Mandates Enhanced Reporting for Autonomous Vehicles

By David Shepardson

Reuters – A California state agency announced on Thursday that it is implementing stricter data reporting requirements for autonomous vehicles, specifically addressing incidents where self-driving cars become immobilized.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) now requires companies to submit detailed trip-level incident reports, covering both collision and non-collision events, including citations and stoppages.

In June, General Motors' self-driving unit, Cruise, agreed to pay the maximum penalty of $112,500 to the CPUC for failing to provide complete information regarding a serious crash involving one of its robotaxis last year.

The CPUC mandates that all autonomous vehicle operators simultaneously file reports with the commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within one day of any collision. These reports must contain "more comprehensive information, enabling better oversight and prompt responses to collisions."

CPUC began reviewing AV data reporting in May 2023. Commissioner Matthew Baker stated that this rule "will provide critical information on how to keep passengers safe during their rides as we roll into a new era of more widespread autonomous vehicle use."

As scrutiny of self-driving robotaxis increases, automakers plan to expand services aggressively. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced last month that the electric vehicle company will launch driverless ride-hailing services in California and Texas in the coming year, while Cruise proposes to make its autonomous vehicles available on Uber's ride-hailing platform by 2025.

Cruise is also under investigation by the NHTSA, Justice Department, and the SEC due to an incident last October, where one of its robotaxis struck a pedestrian after she had been hit by another vehicle and dragged her for 20 feet (6 meters).

In July, GM stated it would indefinitely halt plans to utilize its self-driving Origin vehicle that lacks a steering wheel.

Cruise, along with other self-driving technology companies like Alphabet's Waymo and Amazon's Zoox, faces increased regulatory scrutiny.