US Authorities Begin Investigation into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles Following String of Crashes

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after numerous collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane changes while using the system.

NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Official Examination

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

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

Manufacturer's Official Stance

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

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