🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have commenced an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several accidents.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

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

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The agency stated it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the system's intended actions as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

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