Tesla won’t have to report as many Level 2 crashes after Trump’s rule change

Last week, the US Department of Transportation announced a major change to the Biden-era rule that requires automakers and tech companies to report crashes that involve fully or partially autonomous vehicles. Under the revised rules, companies will no longer have to report certain crashes, such as those involving a vehicle equipped with a Level 2 advanced driver assist system (ADAS) that resulted in a tow-away, but no injuries, fatalities, or airbag deployments. The change was meant to, in Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's words, "slash red tape and move us closer to a single national standard that spurs innovation and prioritizes safety."

One company that stands to benefit from the rule change is Tesla. Under the previous regime, Elon Musk's company comprised the bulk of crashes reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) involving vehicles with Level 2 automated systems. But under the revised rule, Tesla's load will be significantly lighter.

Under the previous rule, if a vehicle with a Level 2 driver assist system or above had a crash that resulted in the vehicle needing to be towed away, but didn't inv …

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