🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have started an investigation into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The NHTSA stated that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused car behavior that breached traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, proceeded to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

The agency reported that four accidents had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper light status in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing 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 agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states 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 time. While these capabilities are designed to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.