US Regulators Initiate Probe into Self-Driving Teslas After Series of Accidents

American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking 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 received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with 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 improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.