🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following multiple crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The NHTSA announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's intended actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

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 take over at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.