🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after multiple crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the car autonomous.”

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