American Regulators Launch Investigation into Self-Driving Tesla Vehicles After String of Collisions

US automobile safety regulators have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after multiple accidents.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

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

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

The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD, which is more advanced than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In late 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was deadly.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the car self-driving.”

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