American Authorities Begin Investigation into Self-Driving Teslas After String of Crashes

US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following multiple collisions.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.