American Authorities Begin Inquiry into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles Following Series of Accidents
US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after numerous collisions.
Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Violations
The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.
This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.
Concerning Case Findings
The agency stated it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving in the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.
NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.
The agency noted that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.
Additional Safety Concerns
The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.
Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.
Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny
The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.
In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.
Company's Official Stance
Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”
Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.