US Authorities Begin Inquiry into Self-Driving Teslas After String of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.