American Regulators Initiate Probe into Self-Driving Tesla Vehicles Following Series of Collisions
US automobile safety regulators have opened an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several crashes.
Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches
The NHTSA stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.
This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.
Concerning Incident Reports
The regulatory body stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.
NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.
The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.
Additional Issues Identified
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 entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.
Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.
Continuing Official Examination
The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.
In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.
Company's Official Stance
The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the car autonomous.”
Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.
