🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after numerous crashes.

Safety Agency Identifies Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency stated it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red traffic lights and moving in the wrong way during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD activated, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was later part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four accidents had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA stated it has identified 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stationary for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's planned actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not render the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.