🔗 Share this article

American vehicle safety authorities have started an examination into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches following several collisions.

Safety Agency Identifies Traffic Law Violations

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

This initial assessment by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially requesting a withdrawal of the cars if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety.

Alarming Incident Reports

The regulatory body reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla cars running red lights and traveling against the wrong way during lane changes while operating the system.

NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, using FSD activated, “came to an junction with a red traffic signal, continued to drive into the intersection against the red light and was later involved in a crash with other cars in the junction”.

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

Further Safety Concerns

The NHTSA announced it has found 18 complaints and one media report claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an intersection with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the entire time of a red traffic signal, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and show the correct traffic signal state in the car's display”.

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

Ongoing Official Examination

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

In late 2024, the agency began an investigation into over two million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of reduced visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or dust clouds. One such accident, in 2023, was deadly.

Company's Official Stance

Tesla's website states that FSD is “designed for use with a completely alert motorist, who has their hands on the wheel and is ready to take over at any moment. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled functions do not make the car autonomous.”

Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals potential challenges with current implementations.