US Regulators Launch Probe into Autonomous Teslas After Series of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after numerous accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.