Witherite Law Group urges stronger transparency, testing, and accountability as U.S. regulators relax crash-reporting rules and investigate self-driving incidents.
DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Recent federal actions involving Tesla and Waymo are intensifying national debate over the safety, oversight, and transparency of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. The Witherite Law Group, which represents individuals injured or families who have lost loved ones in traffic crashes, warns that regulatory rollbacks and high-profile incidents expose major gaps in public safety and accountability.
Tesla Benefits from Relaxed Crash-Reporting Rules
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced changes to self-driving crash-reporting requirements – a move that analysts say will primarily benefit Tesla. The revised rules eliminate mandatory reporting for non-injury, non-fatal crashes involving “Level 2” partial automation systems such as Tesla Autopilot.
Safety advocates warn that this reduction in transparency could make it more difficult to detect trends in system malfunctions and obscure the true frequency of crashes. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy defended the changes as a way to “streamline compliance” and improve global competitiveness, but critics note that Tesla accounted for more than 800 of 1,040 self-driving crashes reported to the federal government in the past year.
Waymo Faces Investigation Over School Bus Incident
Simultaneously, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a preliminary investigation into approximately 2,000 Waymo driverless vehicles after reports that one failed to stop for a school bus displaying flashing lights and an extended stop arm. The vehicle – operating without a human driver – reportedly maneuvered around the front of the bus as children exited.
Waymo stated it has since improved its systems, emphasizing that “driving safely around children has always been one of Waymo’s highest priorities.”
Witherite Law Group Calls for Action
“These incidents show that the rush to deploy autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles continues to outpace safety and accountability standards,” said Amy Witherite, founder of Witherite Law Group. “Transparency, rigorous testing, and consistent enforcement must keep pace with innovation – or we risk replacing one set of dangers with another.”
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Witherite Law Group
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