🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had “induced car behavior that violated road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The agency reported it had documented accounts of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA confirmed it has six documented cases in which a Tesla car, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was subsequently involved in a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

The authority reported that four accidents had caused one or more injuries.

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “did not provide warnings of the system's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”.

Continuing Official Examination

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its basic autopilot feature, has been being examined by NHTSA for twelve months.

In October 2024, the authority began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in last year, was fatal.

Manufacturer's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for use with a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to take over at any time. While these features are designed to improve over time, the presently active features do not make the vehicle self-driving.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.