US Authorities Initiate Probe into Autonomous Teslas Following Series of Accidents

American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving against the incorrect direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one media report 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 did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the authority began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.