🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.