🔗 Share this article

US automobile safety regulators have started an examination into Tesla vehicles featuring the full self-driving technology due to traffic-safety violations after several crashes.

Safety Agency Finds Safety Regulation Breaches

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which requires motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”.

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

Concerning Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles driving through red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane changes while operating the technology.

NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a collision with other motor vehicles in the intersection”.

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

Additional Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one news account alleging that Tesla cars, driving through an intersection with FSD active, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and display the correct traffic signal state in the vehicle interface”.

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

Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny

The full self-driving system, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for a year.

In October 2024, the agency began an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla cars using 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 deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states 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 currently enabled features do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face growing examination from safety agencies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with current implementations.