US Regulators Launch Investigation into Autonomous Teslas After Series of Crashes

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Identifies Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

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

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 complaints and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct light status in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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 agency began an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

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 prepared to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated car systems continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.