Factors and questions on this page
Equipped
Autonomous Unit records whether the vehicle had automation capabilities.
Engaged
Autonomous Level Engaged records the level in use at the crash.
Evidence
Check the system, settings, warnings and records before drawing a conclusion.
Does Autonomous Unit Yes mean the vehicle was driving itself?
No. The field asks whether the vehicle was equipped with driving-automation capabilities. The current manual even directs a Yes entry when the VIN identifies standard adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assistance or lane-keeping assistance. Equipment is a different question from what was engaged when the crash happened. CR-100 section 3.3.14, p. 63.
The next field, Autonomous Level Engaged, records the degree of automation in use at the time: 0 no automation, 1 driver assistance, 2 partial automation, 3 conditional automation, 4 high automation or 5 full automation. The manual also provides 6, automation level unknown, when the vehicle is entered as equipped but the level is unknown; 99 is used when the Autonomous Unit status itself is unknown. When Autonomous Unit is No, the engaged level is 0. CR-100 section 3.3.15, pp. 63–64.
These fields do not establish that a feature failed, caused the collision or relieved anyone of a legal duty. Ask what system was installed, what was actually active, what evidence supports the entry and what happened during the crash. For software versions, settings, warnings, inputs and activation or disengagement records, see preserving driver-assistance and automated-driving evidence. For potential defect and automated-system claims, see vehicle defects and other third parties.
There is one direct connection to contributing factors. When the automation level is entered as 4 or 5, the manual disallows codes 19, 20, 40, 45, 46, 47, 59, 62, 67, 68 and 73–77 for that unit. It imposes the same listed exclusions when no primary person/driver is entered. These are reporting constraints on specified human-condition and activity codes, not a legal allocation of responsibility. CR-100, pp. 134–135.
A final lookup caution: Automation Failure is value 14 in the separate Vehicle Defects list 39. It is not contributing-factor 14, which means Disabled in Traffic Lane in list 38. The manual permits contributing Vehicle Defect 14 only when Autonomous Level is entered as 3, 4 or 5, so an issue involving level 1 or 2 assistance does not by itself meet that reporting condition. The current manual lists Automation Failure without a detailed definition in that defect entry. This entry therefore supplies no detailed assessment test for readers to apply. Other vehicle-defect codes are outside this reference. Code sheet reproduced at p. 20; CR-100, p. 147.
Questions this group helps answer:
- Does Autonomous Unit Yes mean the car was driving itself?
- What does Autonomous Level Engaged record?
- What do codes 6 and 99 mean?
- How can high or full automation affect the available human-condition factors?
Attorney reviewed by Jacob Alford · November 11, 2026
Disclaimer
Jacob Alford, a Texas personal injury lawyer, and Injured Texan PLLC at InjuredTexan.com provide this guide for general information, not legal advice about your particular claim. You are specifically warned about the dangers of attempting to handle a claim yourself.
In Jacobsen v. Allstate, the Court described Allstate’s own internal research that being represented (having a lawyer) meant a claim typically settled for 2–3 times as much. Allstate’s own research also showed that having a lawyer could multiply a recovery perhaps up to 5 times.
The Court documented the internal workings of Allstate’s training for its adjusters and showed just how rigged talking to Big Insurance can be. Read Allstate’s script and judge for yourself: Inside the Insurance Playbook: Jacobsen v. Allstate.
A recorded statement is designed to be used against you, and a verbal settlement can give up valuable rights. Get advice before a voluntary recorded interview or accepting an offer.
You do not need to decide whether to hire a lawyer before asking questions. Jacob Alford and Injured Texan PLLC at InjuredTexan.com offer a free, no-obligation discussion of the process, even if you do not want to hire a lawyer: 210-512-2222. Before you settle, make the free call.
