🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's intended actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing 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 started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the car self-driving.”

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