🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other cars in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, 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 “did not provide alerts of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months.

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.