🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The authority noted that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.