US Authorities Begin Investigation into Self-Driving Tesla Vehicles After String of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after multiple crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The NHTSA declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had “induced car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA marks the initial phase before possibly seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had received reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving engaged, “approached an intersection with a red light, continued to travel into the intersection against the red signal and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide 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 sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been being examined by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to assume control at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.