American Authorities Initiate Probe into Autonomous Teslas After String of Accidents

US automobile safety regulators have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect way during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

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 take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.