🔗 Share this article American Regulators Initiate Inquiry into Self-Driving Teslas After Series of Crashes US automobile safety regulators have commenced an examination into Tesla vehicles equipped with the autonomous driving system due to safety regulation breaches after numerous crashes. Regulatory Body Finds Traffic Law Violations The federal safety agency declared that the automaker's self-driving assistance system, which demands drivers to stay alert and take control when necessary, had “induced vehicle behaviour that breached road safety regulations”. This preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA represents the first step before potentially seeking a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they pose a risk to road safety. Alarming Incident Reports The regulatory body stated it had documented reports of nearly 3 million Tesla cars running red lights and moving against the wrong way during lane switching while using the system. NHTSA confirmed it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving activated, “approached an intersection with a red traffic signal, proceeded to drive into the crossroads despite the red signal and was later involved in a crash with other motor vehicles in the junction”. The agency reported that four crashes had resulted in one or more injuries. Further Safety Concerns The NHTSA announced it has identified 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 light, did not come to complete stop, or did not properly recognize and show the correct light status in the car's display”. Some complainants also stated that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was approaching a red traffic signal”. Ongoing Regulatory Scrutiny Tesla's FSD, which is more sophisticated than its Autopilot system, has been under investigation by NHTSA for twelve months. In October 2024, the agency started an inquiry into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles using FSD after four reported collisions in situations of poor visibility, such as bright sunlight, mist or airborne dust. One such accident, in 2023, was fatal. Manufacturer's Stated Position The company's official position indicates that FSD is “intended for operation by a completely alert driver, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to take over at any time. While these features are designed to become more capable, the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.” Automated vehicle technology continue to face increased scrutiny from regulatory bodies as the systems develop and real-world testing reveals possible issues with current implementations.