🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.