Vehicle Laws - Fully Autonomous Vehicles - Human Safety Operators and Reporting Requirements

SB 405 requires manufacturers of fully autonomous vehicles operating on Maryland highways to maintain a human safety operator in the vehicle and submit detailed incident reports to the Motor Vehicle Administration. These reports cover collisions, unadjudicated traffic violations, disengagements (when autonomous mode stops), and passenger/operator assaults. Manufacturers must include specific details like collision causes, weather conditions, vehicle performance data, and plain-language explanations of disengagements. The law takes effect December 1, 2025, and mandates annual disengagement reports. The Motor Vehicle Administration will analyze this data to provide safety recommendations to the General Assembly.