US Authorities Launch Investigation into Self-Driving Teslas Following String of Crashes

US automobile safety regulators have commenced an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

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

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stopped 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 claimed that FSD “failed to give warnings of the technology's intended actions as the car was approaching a red traffic signal”.

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 began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Official Stance

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 assume control at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle self-driving.”

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