🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had caused one or more injuries.

Further Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stationary for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the system's intended behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into over two million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.