By David Shepardson
(Reuters) -A California state agency said on Thursday it is mandating enhanced data reporting requirements for autonomous vehicles including reports for incidents where self-driving cars get stuck.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is requiring companies to file detailed trip-level incident reports that cover both collision and non-collision incidents, including citations and stoppage events.
In June, GM self-driving unit Cruise agreed to pay the maximum $112,500 penalty to the CPUC for failing to promptly provide complete information to the commission about a serious crash involving one of its robotaxis last year.
CPUC said all autonomous vehicle operators will be required to simultaneously file reports with the commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within one day of any collision, containing “more comprehensive information, enabling better oversight and prompt responses to collisions.”
CPUC began work to update AV data reporting in May 2023. Commissioner Matthew Baker said the 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.”
Scrutiny of self-driving robotaxis has grown, even as automakers have aggressive plans to expand services. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last month the electric vehicle maker will roll out driverless ride-hailing services to the public in California and Texas next year, while Cruise plans to offer its autonomous vehicles on ride-hailing platform Uber starting in 2025.
Cruise faces ongoing investigations by NHTSA, Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission following an accident last October in which one of its robotaxis struck a pedestrian after she was hit by another vehicle and dragged her 20 feet (6 meters).
GM said in July it would indefinitely suspend plans to use its self-driving Origin vehicle that does not have a steering wheel.
Cruise, along with other self-driving vehicle technology companies such as Alphabet’s Waymo and Amazon’s Zoox, has come under heavy regulatory scrutiny.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)
