🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

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

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

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