American Regulators Begin Probe into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles After String of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time 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 “did not provide warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.