Tesla Seeks to Block NHTSA from Disclosing Self-Driving Crash Data

Tesla has requested a judge to prevent the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) from disclosing specific data related to crashes involving vehicles equipped with self-driving features, as Reuters reports. In a recent filing, the company asserted that the information is confidential and that making it public could enable competitors to analyze the effectiveness of various versions of its self-driving technology, potentially revealing the number of crashes associated with different systems.

Background of the Lawsuit

The Washington Post filed a lawsuit against the NHTSA last year to gain access to more detailed information about crashes that occurred while driver-assistance systems, including Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD), were engaged. The NHTSA has stated that the data being requested is exempt from public records laws. The Post argued that while the NHTSA does publish information regarding crashes, it “withholds critical details about the technologies in use and the circumstances and locations of the crashes.”

Tesla’s Position on Confidentiality

Tesla contends that both the company and the NHTSA should be allowed to keep certain information related to crashes private. This includes details about driver behavior, road conditions, and specific versions of driver-assistance technology that may have been in use at the time of the incidents.

Legal Arguments

However, the Post‘s legal representatives argue that information regarding the versions of hardware and software that may have been in use during crashes is not confidential, as drivers can access this information through their vehicle dashboards. In its filing this week, Tesla stated that, “Even where Tesla’s individual vehicle owners might know certain information about their own vehicles, such as the version of the ADAS software installed, where a safety incident occurred, the conditions of the road during the accident, and what they were doing leading up to the accident, this information is shared with Tesla with the expectation that it will be kept private.”

NHTSA Data Redaction Practices

According to Electrek, Tesla utilizes NHTSA loopholes to have most data related to crashes involving its vehicles redacted. The company maintains that its “self-driving” technology does not render its cars fully autonomous and that drivers are required to actively supervise its use.

Upcoming Developments

In other news, Tesla anticipates launching its first Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, this month, as reported in start deploying.

Leadership Changes

Additionally, Until late May indicates that Tesla CEO Elon Musk was effectively the head of the Department of Government Efficiency. This initiative reportedly underwent significant changes at the beginning of this year, including the departure of about half of a small team responsible for overseeing the safety of autonomous vehicles.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at Engadget.