US Regulators Initiate Inquiry into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles After String of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following multiple crashes.

Regulatory Body Identifies Traffic Law Breaches

The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated road safety regulations”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority determines they present a danger to road safety.

Alarming Case Findings

The agency reported it had received accounts of 2.88 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and traveling against the wrong direction during lane changes while using the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, using full self-driving engaged, “came to an junction with a red light, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an junction with FSD active, 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 proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In October 2024, the authority started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, mist or dust clouds. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any moment. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the car self-driving.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.