American Authorities Initiate Probe into Self-Driving Teslas After String of Collisions

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

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the intersection against the red light and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the authority began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.