🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The authority reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states 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 moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.