American Regulators Initiate Probe into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles After Series of Accidents
American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following numerous crashes.
Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached road safety regulations”.
This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.
Concerning Incident Reports
The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the technology.
NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.
The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.
Additional Safety Concerns
The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, 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 display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.
Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.
Continuing Official Examination
Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.
In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.
Company's Official Stance
The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, 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 systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.
