American Authorities Initiate Probe into Autonomous Teslas Following String of Collisions
American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several collisions.
Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches
The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.
This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they pose a risk to public safety.
Concerning Incident Reports
The agency reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane switching while using the system.
NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red signal and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.
The authority noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.
Further Safety Concerns
The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.
Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.
Continuing 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 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.
Company's Stated Position
Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the presently active features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”
Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.
