American Authorities Begin Investigation into Self-Driving Teslas Following Series of Crashes

American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection 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 alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.