American Regulators Initiate Investigation into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles After Series of Accidents

American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.