Ferrari hit with $3.5M fine for failing to report fatal accidents

Ferrari has been hit with a $3.5 million fine from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to comply with reporting requirements.
The agency accuses the Italian luxury brand of violating federal law by declining to submit reports surrounding three fatal accidents.

The company previously qualified as a small-volume manufacturer, exempting it from quarterly early-warning reporting (EWR), however the company was still required to notify the agency of any fatal accidents involving its vehicles.

“There is no excuse for failing to follow laws created to keep drivers safe, and our aggressive enforcement action today underscores the point that all automakers will be held accountable if they fail to do their part in our mission to keep Americans safe on the road,” said US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

The NHTSA has also established a consent order that requires Ferrari to improve its EWR reporting processes, train personnel on the EWR requirements, communicate the improvements to the agency and retroactively submit any missing reports.

“Early warning reports are like NHTSA’s radar, helping us to find unsafe vehicles and make sure they are fixed,” said NHTSA Deputy Administrator David Friedman. “Companies that violate the law and fail to comply will be subject to comparable swift NHTSA enforcement action.”

Notably, the NHTSA appears to have only initiated action after a letter from Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal pointed out that Ferrari had never reported a death or injury claim through EWR. The revelation will likely fuel criticism that the agency has not been proactive in its mission to enforce federal safety regulations.