US Authorities Launch Probe into Self-Driving Teslas Following String of Crashes

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after multiple crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, 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 technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the car self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.