American Authorities Launch Probe into Self-Driving Tesla Vehicles After String of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the system.

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

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.