American Regulators Begin Inquiry into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles After Series of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated 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 preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's planned actions as the car was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.