US Regulators Begin Probe into Self-Driving Teslas After String of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.