🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have commenced an probe into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following numerous collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving in the wrong way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.