🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.