American Authorities Initiate Probe into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles After String of Accidents

US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

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

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a recall of the cars if the agency concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running 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 full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.