US Regulators Initiate Inquiry into Self-Driving Teslas After Series of Crashes

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane switching while using the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the crossroads against the red signal and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not render the car self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.