🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have opened an probe into Tesla vehicles equipped with the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches following multiple collisions.

Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands drivers to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority determines they present a danger to public safety.

Concerning Case Findings

The agency reported it had documented reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving in the incorrect direction during lane switching while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla car, operating with FSD engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later part of a crash with other cars in the intersection”.

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

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has identified 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an junction with FSD active, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Some complainants also claimed that FSD “failed to give alerts of the technology's intended actions as the vehicle was approaching a red light”.

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Stated Position

The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these features are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and practical implementation reveals possible issues with current implementations.