American Regulators Launch Investigation into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles Following Series of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following numerous crashes.

Safety Agency 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 car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined 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 bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

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 assume control at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.