American Regulators Begin Investigation into Self-Driving Teslas After Series of Collisions
US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous accidents.
Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations
The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.
This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.
Alarming Incident Reports
The regulatory body reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane changes while using the technology.
NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.
The agency reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.
Additional Safety Concerns
The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the car's display”.
Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.
Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny
The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.
In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.
Manufacturer's Official Stance
Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”
Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.
