American Regulators Launch Investigation into Self-Driving Tesla Vehicles Following String of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.