🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have commenced an probe into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while using the system.

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

The agency noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's planned actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing 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 October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.