🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA announced that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, 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 vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling in the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the authority began an inquiry into over two million Tesla cars using FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.