American Authorities Initiate Investigation into Autonomous Teslas After Series of Accidents

US automobile safety regulators have started an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA stated that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's intended actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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 investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.