American Regulators Launch Investigation into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles Following Series of Crashes

US automobile safety regulators have started an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration 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 claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, 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 practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.