Tesla opposes the rule, arguing it unfairly targets the company and presents data in misleading ways, potentially affecting consumer perception of its safety.
The NHTSA collects crash data to evaluate the safety of emerging automotive technologies and has used this data to influence 10 investigations and nine safety recalls involving multiple companies.
Tesla has reported over 1,500 crashes to the NHTSA under the current reporting program, with 40 out of 45 fatal crashes involving Tesla vehicles.
The Trump transition team has recommended repealing the rule, calling it a mandate for excessive data collection, which could benefit companies like Tesla by reducing regulatory oversight.
Repealing the rule could hinder the government's ability to investigate and regulate the safety of automated driving systems, as crash data is crucial for identifying safety issues and patterns.
Tesla's crash data has influenced three investigations by the NHTSA, which have led to safety recalls and regulatory scrutiny of the company's autonomous driving features.
Musk has called for a federal approval process for autonomous vehicles, arguing that navigating state-by-state regulations is incredibly painful and could delay the development of autonomous driving technology.
Tesla likely reports a greater proportion of incidents because it collects real-time crash data that other companies do not, and it has been developing autonomous driving technology for a longer time.
The rule raises privacy concerns as it involves sending detailed driving data, including an hour's worth of information before a crash, to the government, which some users may not want shared.
Tesla has more vehicles on the road equipped with driver assistance technologies, which means it may experience a higher frequency of crashes simply due to the larger number of its vehicles in use.