American Regulators Initiate Investigation into Self-Driving Tesla Vehicles Following Series of Accidents

American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

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 take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.