🔗 Share this article US Authorities Initiate Investigation into Self-Driving Teslas Following String of Collisions American vehicle safety authorities have commenced an investigation into Tesla cars featuring the full self-driving technology due to safety regulation breaches after several crashes. Regulatory Body Finds Safety Regulation Breaches The federal safety agency declared that the electric carmaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”. This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA marks the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the agency concludes they present a danger to road safety. Alarming Case Findings The regulatory body reported it had documented accounts of nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles running red lights and traveling in the wrong way during lane switching while using the technology. NHTSA stated it has six documented cases in which a Tesla vehicle, using full self-driving engaged, “approached an junction with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red light and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”. The authority noted that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries. Additional Issues Identified The NHTSA stated it has found 18 reports and one news account claiming that Tesla vehicles, operating at an junction with FSD engaged, “failed to remain stopped for the duration of a red light, failed to stop fully, or failed to accurately detect and display the proper traffic signal state in the car's display”. Several reporters also claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the system's planned actions as the car was coming to a red traffic signal”. Continuing Regulatory Scrutiny Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months. In late 2024, the agency started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in last year, was fatal. Manufacturer's Official Stance The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is ready to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are engineered to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the car self-driving.” Self-driving vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and practical implementation reveals possible issues with existing deployments.