🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and moving against the incorrect way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In October 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

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