American Regulators Launch Investigation into Autonomous Teslas After Series of Collisions
US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following numerous accidents.
Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations
The NHTSA announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.
This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.
Concerning Case Findings
The agency stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving 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, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.
The authority reported that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.
Further Safety Concerns
The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.
Some complainants 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
Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.
In October 2024, the agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.
Manufacturer's Official Stance
Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car self-driving.”
Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.