California Code of Regulations
Title 13 - Motor Vehicles
Division 1 - Department of Motor Vehicles
Chapter 1 - Department of Motor Vehicles
Article 3.7 - Testing of Autonomous Vehicles
Section 227.50 - Reporting Disengagement of Autonomous Mode

Universal Citation: 13 CA Code of Regs 227.50

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 12, March 22, 2024

(a) Upon receipt of a Manufacturer's Testing Permit or a Manufacturer's Testing Permit -- Driverless Vehicles, a manufacturer shall commence retaining data related to the disengagement of the autonomous mode. For the purposes of this section, "disengagement" means a deactivation of the autonomous mode when a failure of the autonomous technology is detected or when the safe operation of the vehicle requires that the autonomous vehicle test driver disengage the autonomous mode and take immediate manual control of the vehicle, or in the case of driverless vehicles, when the safety of the vehicle, the occupants of the vehicle, or the public requires that the autonomous technology be deactivated.

(b) Every manufacturer authorized under this article to test autonomous vehicles on public roads shall prepare and submit to the department an annual report summarizing the information compiled pursuant to subsection (a) by January 1st, of each year.

(1) The first report shall cover the period from the date of issuance of the Manufacturer's Testing Permit or a Manufacturer's Testing Permit -- Driverless Vehicles to November 30th of the following year. A manufacturer that holds both a Manufacturer's Testing Permit and a Manufacturer's Testing Permit -- Driverless Vehicles may submit a single report that makes clear which disengagements occurred under each type of testing permit.

(2) After the first report, subsequent annual reports shall cover the period December 1st of the current year to November 30th of the following year.

(3) The annual report shall summarize disengagements as follows:
(A) An indication of whether the test vehicle is capable of operating without a driver,

(B) The circumstances or testing conditions at the time of the disengagement including:
(i) The location: interstate, freeway, highway, rural road, street, or parking facility.

(ii) Whether the vehicle was operating with or without a driver at the time of the disengagement.

(iii) A description of the facts causing the disengagements, including: weather conditions, road surface or traffic conditions, construction, emergencies, accidents or collisions. The description should be written in plain language with enough detail that a non-technical person can understand the circumstances triggering the disengagement.

(iv) The party that initiated the disengagement (autonomous technology, autonomous vehicle test driver, remote operator, or passenger).

(4) The annual report shall include the total number of miles each autonomous vehicle tested in autonomous mode on public roads each month.

(c) The annual report shall be submitted to the department on the Annual Report of Autonomous Vehicle Disengagements, form OL 311R (Rev. 7/2020), which is hereby incorporated by reference.

1. New section filed 5-19-2014; operative 9-16-2014 pursuant to Vehicle Code section 38750(f) (Register 2014, No. 21).
2. Renumbering of former section 227.50 to section 227.54 and renumbering and amendment of former section 227.46 to section 227.50 filed 2-26-2018; operative 4-1-2018 (Register 2018, No. 9).
3. Change without regulatory effect amending form OL 311R, Annual Report of Autonomous Vehicle Disengagements (incorporated by reference) and amending subsection (c) filed 4-15-2021 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2021, No. 16).

Note: Authority cited: Sections 1651 and 38750, Vehicle Code. Reference: Section 38750, Vehicle Code.

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