American Regulators Launch Investigation into Autonomous Tesla Vehicles Following String of Collisions

American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an examination into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which requires motorists to remain attentive and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that violated traffic safety laws”.

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before possibly requesting a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they pose a risk to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling in the wrong direction during lane switching while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with FSD engaged, “came to an intersection with a red traffic signal, continued to travel into the intersection despite the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”.

The agency noted that four crashes had resulted in injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report claiming that Tesla cars, operating at an junction with FSD active, did not stay stopped for the duration of a red traffic signal, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

Several reporters also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red traffic signal”.

Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny

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

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla cars equipped with FSD after four documented crashes in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Manufacturer'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 ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”

Automated vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.