American Regulators Begin Probe into Self-Driving Teslas Following Series of Crashes

US automobile safety regulators have started an probe into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following multiple collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

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

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the authority started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.