American Regulators Initiate Investigation into Autonomous Teslas After String of Accidents
US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after multiple accidents.
Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.
This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.
Alarming Incident Reports
The agency stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the system.
NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.
The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.
Additional Safety Concerns
The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.
Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.
Ongoing Official Examination
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 started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.
Manufacturer's Official Stance
Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”
Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.
