🔗 Share this article US Regulators Begin Inquiry into Autonomous Teslas After String of Collisions American vehicle safety authorities have started an probe into Tesla cars equipped with the autonomous driving system due to traffic-safety violations after several crashes. Safety Agency Finds Traffic Law Breaches The NHTSA stated that the automaker's autonomous driving feature, which demands motorists to stay alert and intervene if needed, had caused car behavior that violated traffic safety laws”. This initial assessment by the NHTSA represents the first step before possibly requesting a recall of the vehicles if the authority concludes they present a danger to public safety. Concerning Incident Reports The regulatory body reported it had received reports of 2.88 million Tesla vehicles driving through red traffic lights and moving against the wrong direction during lane switching while using the system. NHTSA stated it has six reports in which a Tesla vehicle, operating with full self-driving engaged, “came to an intersection with a red light, continued to drive into the crossroads against the red light and was subsequently part of a crash with other motor vehicles in the intersection”. The authority reported that four crashes had caused one or more injuries. Additional Safety Concerns The NHTSA announced it has found 18 reports and one media report alleging that Tesla vehicles, driving through an intersection with FSD active, “failed to remain 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 claimed that FSD “did not provide alerts of the technology's planned behaviour as the vehicle was coming to a red light”. Ongoing Official Examination 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 started an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD after four reported collisions in conditions of poor visibility, such as sun glare, mist or airborne dust. One of these collisions, in 2023, was fatal. Company's Official Stance The company's official position indicates that FSD is “designed for operation by a fully attentive motorist, who has their hands on the steering wheel and is prepared to assume control at any time. While these capabilities are designed to become more capable, the presently active features do not make the vehicle autonomous.” Self-driving car systems continue to face increased scrutiny from safety agencies as the technology advances and real-world testing reveals potential challenges with existing deployments.