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

American vehicle safety authorities have opened an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations following several collisions.

Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Violations

The federal safety agency stated that the electric carmaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands motorists to remain attentive and take control when necessary, had caused vehicle behaviour that breached traffic safety laws”.

This early investigation by the NHTSA represents the initial phase before potentially seeking a withdrawal of the vehicles if the agency determines they present a danger to public safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body stated it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla cars driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the system.

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

The agency noted that four crashes had caused injuries to occupants.

Additional Issues Identified

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD engaged, did not stay stationary for the entire time of a red light, failed to stop fully, 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 alerts of the technology's intended behaviour as the car was coming to a red light”.

Ongoing Official Examination

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

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

Company's Stated Position

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are engineered to improve over time, the presently active functions do not render the car autonomous.”

Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals possible issues with existing deployments.